The Kitsune and the Neko
by Junior the Wolf
Summary: An outcast and a princess. Both living different lives, yet they both have something in common. What will happen when they find each other?
1. Arc 1 Chapter 1

**The Kitsune and the Neko**

Summary: An outcast and a princess. Both living different lives, yet they both have something in common. What will happen when they find each other?

Alternate Universe; A few OCs and many OOCs  
Rated T for mild to, possibly, medium language. May raise the rating later on for safety.

"Talking"  
'Thoughts'

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Arc 1: The Early Years  
Chapter 1: Fated Encounter**

It was dark and raining when he took off from that horrible place. He should be asleep by this time. Unfortunately, he can't sleep. He had to run, run from the one who kicked him out of that place for something he did not do. He was accused of endangering the other children. The truth was much different than what that mean lady says it is. He was being treated like garbage by everyone, even the other kids, there. Why, you might ask? He doesn't quite know.

Right now, he's running towards the only person he knows who could help him. He's been running for five minutes straight, staying just ahead of the one who's chasing him. How a five-year-old boy who hasn't eaten anything decent in days, weeks maybe, can stay ahead of a mean lady in her early forties is beyond anyone's, even the boy's, comprehension. And to make matters worse, two minutes into the chase, some of the villagers who saw said chase either cheered for the boy's death or joined the chase altogether. Now, there's a mob of villagers chasing a helpless little boy for no general reason the boy could possibly think of. To the mob, on the other hand, they're about to rid their home village of a demon. Why anyone would call such a child that is ridiculous.

When the boy finally saw his destination, a large red building with the kanji for 'fire' on the front, up ahead, he tripped and slid across the wet ground. The mob smirked evilly, seeing their chance to strike. Once they've reached the boy, they started hitting him with anything they have in their hands. Either that or they would punch and kick him hard. All the while shouting what the boy had supposedly did to them in the past. If they were actually smart, they would have realized that it would be impossible for someone not even a hour old to attack a hidden village and kill hundreds of trained ninja and civilians, including the strongest of them all, the Fourth Hokage.

This is what a woman in her early twenties has surmised when she was walking home. She's wearing a simple sea-blue kimono with silver trim and a silver obi. Her hands and feet are adorned with black fingerless gloves and sea-blue cloth boots with silver trim. Her sapphire blue eyes gaze down at the boy with sadness and heartache. Her midnight blue hair seems to shine in the moonlight as it flows down to the small of her back. The kimono does give hints towards her figure. She obviously has curves in all the right places. What it hides well is that she is also well-trained in combat.

Her eyes quickly go from sadness to anger when she saw a sharp weapon poised to take the boy's life. She quickly vanished without a trace, only to appear before the boy, holding the weapon in her hand, now aimed at the one who originally had it.

"What do you think you're doing, harming a helpless child?" the woman yelled angrily.

Most of them shuddered at the woman's killing intent. It was so massive, it could compare to the Hokage's own. "J-Just d-destroying a d-demon." one of the men have responded after a brief moment, clearly terrified of this woman.

The woman looked at the boy and back at them before saying, "I see no demon here. All I see is a little boy and a bunch of idiots who tried to take their problems out on the poor child."

"Lady, that's no child. That's a demon fox!" one of the women said to her that wasn't trembling in fear.

"A demon fox, you say..." she said lightly while gazing at the child with interest. The mob seemed to relax when she turned her free hand towards the boy. They all thought that she was going to strangle him. But they were proven wrong when she started to stroke his messy blond hair that's stained with blood. They were even more surprised when her hands produced a strange soft bluish-green flame that started healing his wounds. With a serine smile on her face, she says in a sweet and gentle voice that could melt the hearts of all, "All I see is a little boy who probably wants someone to talk to, play with or even take care of him until he can do so on his own. He needs someone to turn to. A confidant that he can trust with even his darkest secrets. Someone he can consider precious to him." She then scaned the entire mob surrounding her with a sad face. "Is that so wrong? Is it such a crime to seek out companionship? Are you all so heartless to deny him such a thing when you all have it yourselves? If so, then you are the true demons here." She then picked the boy up and vanished in a flurry of white rose pedals.

xxxxx

Watching the whole thing with his crystal ball, an old man in his sixties smiled at the mysterious woman's kindness towards the boy who was coming to see him for protection and guidance. Getting up from his chair, he vanished from his office when he saw where the woman has teleported off to.

xxxxx

Deep in the forest surrounding the village, a fairly large house stands hidden in the foliage that the forest provides. It's two stories tall and built to match the scenery. Appearing in a whirlwind of white rose pedals is the dark-haired beauty with the blond-haired boy safely in her arms. While the boy was resting, he turned towards the woman and wrapped his arms around her the best he could, a small smile on his face. The woman smiled and kissed his forehead before walking towards the door. Before she reached it, though, she stopped when she felt a presence appear behind her.

"Excuse me, miss." came a deep voice from said presence.

"Good evening, Lord Hokage. To what do I owe the honor of your presence." she said in a sweet and respectful voice without even turning around to face him.

The Hokage raised an eyebrow, not knowing that the woman could tell it was him and not someone else.

"I can tell because I knew you would come. But it might be best to take this inside for the boy needs his rest." Without another word, the woman walked into the house once the door mysteriously opened. The Hokage's curiosity grew as he entered the forest home.

Inside, the woman sat the boy onto the couch before forming a hand sign. "Shadow Clone Jutsu." she whispered. Two exact replicas of herself shimmered into existence. One walked into the kitchen to prepare some tea for her and her guest. The other clone sat by the boy's side and proceeded to clean him up while running her hand through his fur-like hair. The real woman escorted the Hokage into the dining room where they both take a seat at the table. Once seated, she did some more hand signs. "Sound Suppression Jutsu." she whispered. The room glowed a soft green for a brief moment.

Once the glow was gone, she smiled at the old man. "Surprised?" she asked.

"Very. I didn't know you knew such a useful array of jutsu." the Hokage replied. He then adopted a serious face. "Do you know why I am here?"

"Yes I do. You saw the mob attack the boy with your crystal ball and also saw me rescue him, tend to his wounds and carry him to my home hidden in your village's vast forest. Did I miss anything?" she said, taking a serious tone like man before her.

The Hokage nodded. "Is there something you're not telling me?" he asked.

"What do you mean, Lord Hokage?" she asked innocently.

"The fact that your killing intent was nearly a match for my own when it concerns the boy. Also, I can sense that you are not human nor are you a threat." the Hokage pointed out. "What exactly are you?"

The woman sighed. 'He's as good as Lady Suzaku says he is.' she thought to herself. 'Well, I can't lie to him about _what_ I am. But he can't know the whole story yet, not before my charge does.' "All right, then. What I'm about to tell you is more secret than the Nine-Tailed Fox being sealed into the boy over there." she said so serious, the Hokage doubt even he could protest. With a nod of understanding from the elderly Fire Shadow, she continued. "My name is Yuki Youko. What I am is what humans call a fox demon. But there are two kinds of demon foxes in the world: a youko and a kitsune. What I am is a kitsune, unlike Lord Kyuubi, who is a youko."

"_Lord_ Kyuubi?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow.

She nodded. "Yes. Lord Kyuubi is the guardian of the Land of Fire as well as master of the void element. He's one of the strongest amongst the Kyuu no Bijuu, or Nine Tailed Beasts in human tongue, but prefers to protect his territory from threats." Yuki paused so the Hokage can absorb what she's told him so far. "Five years ago, I foresaw the events of his rampage and imprisonment as well as the ones responsible for them. I came here to watch over the boy as well as prepare him for what's to come. He'll eventually face the one who had caused Lord Kyuubi to go into a berserker state in the first place." She then took on a slightly pleading look. "Please allow me to become the boy's caretaker. He needs someone in his life besides you and Lady Tsunade. I don't know what she is to him nor where she is, but he needs friends and someone to teach him what he needs to know to survive. I can do that for him in more ways than one."

The Hokage sighed. He knows that he can't protect the boy all the time. Even his private guards can't do so. "Very well. He can stay here with you if you wish to adopt him."

"No. I cannot adopt him because I must keep my presence in your village at a minimum if possible. Plus, I was ordered not to adopt him by one of my superiors. I don't trust your Council of Elders, especially your old teammates and that warhawk named Danzou. I foresaw that they will attempt to cripple the boy's heart in the future. How, I am not too sure. They'll use any excuse possible to get him executed, exiled or even force him to commit suicide. I won't allow any of those scenarios to happen to him." she said firmly.

"Neither will I. Although he isn't safe in the village either. He'll just keep coming under attack by angry mobs of villagers and shinobi for something that's physically impossible for any newborn child to do, demon or otherwise." the Hokage stated. He then adopted a thinking pose. "Maybe I can get him an apartment to live in where he'll be safe from the villagers and even the ninja against him. That is, if you're not okay with him living with you here."

"I don't mind him staying here, Lord Hokage. But is there such a place where he'll be safe besides here with me?" Yuki asked.

"Yes. I have assigned a couple of ANBU years ago to protect the boy at all times. I might be able to convince them to move to a place where the boy will still be protected from idiots like that mob from earlier, even at home. No one in this village would dare attack him if he lived near or even with one of the ANBU Black Ops." the Hokage replied.

"He probably doesn't even know he's being protected, does he?" she asked with a smile.

"Not at all." he replied with his own smile. "He knows that I'm protecting him, but that's about it."

xxxxx

In the other room, the blond boy suddenly sneezed. Seeing this, Yuki's shadow clone quickly transformed before the boy could wake up completely. Once then boy opened his eyes, he was greeted by a magnificent sight. Perched on top of his chest is a gorgeous seven-tailed fox with sea-blue fur and ocean-blue eyes. His hand reached up and gently pet the furry critter to find its fur to feel like soft silk. The boy heard it purr as it nuzzled his hand. Wrapping his small arms around the fox, he pulled it closer to him and snuggled up to it.

"She seems to have taken a liking to you." was the melody that suddenly graced his ears.

"It seems that way, doesn't it." came another, and very familiar, voice to the boy.

Looking towards the voices, he saw the Hokage and a woman he has never seen before. "Sarutobi, is that you?" he asked slowly, still a little tired.

"Yes it is, my boy." the old man, now named Sarutobi, said to the boy. "Let me introduce your savior to you." Before he could though, said savior cut him off.

"Yuki Youko. And you must be Naruto Uzumaki, am I correct?" she said. 'I can't tell him that's he's cuddling with one of my shadow clones. But he'll know soon, though. He really is a sweet child.' she mused.

"How did you know my name?" Naruto asked out of curiosity.

"Well, that would be the Hokage's doing." Yuki said as she approached the boy. She sat by him and started to run her delicate fingers through his hair as her clone snuggled up to him more.

Sarutobi let out a jolly laugh at the attention the boy's getting. He even saw a small blush developing on the boy's tan cheeks. "It seems as though they've taken a liking to you, kid."

"And why wouldn't we? He's just so cute!" Yuki squealed lightly as her clone licked his whiskered cheeks happily before nuzzling said cheeks.

Liking the attention he's getting, he snuggled up to the vixen even more and moved closer to the woman. Yuki smiled as she placed him on her lap and started to sing softly. Her song is both sweet and relaxing. Despite being an adult and a well trained fighter, she's acting like a teenage girl who just received a new cuddle buddy to snuggle with at night. After a minute of singing to them, Naruto and the seven-tailed vixen fall asleep in Yuki's arms.

Stopping her song early once the boy fell asleep, she dispelled her clone and placed him back on the couch, a loving smile gracing her features. "I really wish I could adopt him. He's just so adorable! Although my three daughters might say the same thing." She then turned to Sarutobi. "He's around their age, you know. I just know they'll get along quite well."

"Is that part of the reason why you can't adopt him?" Sarutobi asked.

"Yes. Who knows how they'll feel for each other when they get older. They might like him as a brother, or they might end up falling in love with him. Who's to say, really." said Yuki. "If you don't mind, I would like to know more about Naruto, if I can. Don't worry, I won't tell him anything he shouldn't know until he is ready to handle it."

Taking a moment to think it over, Sarutobi nodded. "All right, I'll tell you who Naruto really is. Keep in mind that this is a SS-class secret, not to be told to him until he is either sixteen years old or has reached the rank of chūnin. Also, no one else is to know that you know and you must not tell anyone about this. Is that understood." After receiving a nod from Yuki, they both take a seat in the dining room and use a variety of privacy jutsu to prevent this information from getting out too soon.

xxxxx

The next day, Naruto woke up to the sound of soft and sweet singing. He sat up a bit and looked around, taking in his surroundings. He quickly discovered that he's in the living room of the house of that woman, Yuki. Said room contains a couch, two comfy chairs, a coffee table between them, a TV in front of the couch and end tables on both sides of the couch. One of the end tables has a lamp while the other has a few framed pictures on it. The walls are painted a forest green with a bit of brown mixed in to make it look like the color of both wood and leaves. He looked towards the source of the singing, only to find a girl around his age sitting in one of the chairs near him. She has shoulder-length dark blue hair and eyes as blue as his own. The girl is wearing a dark blue tank top with a white t-shirt underneath and dark blue pants. Even to Naruto's five-year-old mind, the girl is very pretty.

The girl suddenly stopped singing when she felt a pair on eyes on her. She looked at the boy on the couch and smiled. "Oh, I see you're awake." she said to him as Naruto sat up on the couch and stretched a bit. The girl sounded soft-spoken to him. "I'm Tsuki Youko. You must be Naruto Uzumaki, correct?" Naruto nodded, wondering how she knew his name. "Mommy told me who you were before I came in here." she explained to him, seeing his questionable look.

"She's right, Naruto." Yuki said, entering the room. She's currently wearing a sea-blue top with silver trim and a long dark blue skirt. She also has a white apron on that says 'Foxy Chef' on the front. "Tsuki is one of my three daughters. I'll introduce the others to you during breakfast. But first, let me show you to your room so you can get cleaned up." She then took his hand and took him upstairs. Once they got up there, they saw another girl the same age as Tsuki and just as pretty. The difference between the two is that this girl has long silver hair tied in a tight ponytail and a different, yet similar, outfit. This girl is wearing a sky-blue tank top with a white t-shirt underneath and dark blue shorts. "Ginko, perfect timing. This is Naruto, the boy I told you about. Naruto, this is Ginko, another one of my daughters." Yuki said, introducing them to each other.

"Hi." Ginko said, waving at the boy in front of her. 'He's cute.' she thought to herself.

"Hello." Naruto greeted a little shyly.

"Don't be shy. I'm not gonna hurt you." Ginko says to him in a kind tone.

Naruto nodded before he was guided down the hall by Yuki while Ginko gives him one last look before heading downstairs.

Yuki guided Naruto into a room down the hall. The room is mostly bare. It has a bed, a nightstand with a lamp and an alarm clock on it, a desk with a chair and an empty bookshelf. On the desk is a small box that's labeled 'Naruto's stuff'. "This will be your room." Yuki said, gaining the little boy's attention. "The Hokage has allowed me to take care of you until a certain time. I can't tell you how long because you're not ready to know just yet. But I will tell you this much." She then kneeled down to his level and turned him around to face her. "I was asked by your mother before you were born to take care of you if, for some reason, she couldn't."

Wide-eyed, he asked, "You knew my mom? Who was she? What was she like?"

"Whoa, slow down there, kit. There's no need to get excited." Yuki told him. "I wish I could tell you who your mother was, Naruto. I really do. Unfortunately, you're not ready to know." She would have continued if Naruto didn't cut her off.

"And why not? She's my mom! I gotta know!" he yelled, upset that this woman won't tell him who his mother is. 'Just like Sarutobi.' he grumbled mentally.

"I can't tell you because of the many enemies she has in this village and abroad." Yuki said sternly, calming the boy down. His confused gaze caused her to elaborate. "You see, she was a legendary kunoichi who has done many great things in her lifetime. Some of these things some people hate her for. So, as her son, they would want to kill you for the things she did as a way to hurt her, even in the grave. Do you understand?" The little boy nodded. "If she were still here, she would be able to protect you from them. However, because she isn't, no one can know that you are her son. If they do, your life is basically forfeit. Despite your age, they would kill you without hesitation." She pulled him into her arms and held him as he began to cry. "Don't cry, little one. That's why I'm here. Your mother asked me to protect you from them. I'm sorry I haven't found you sooner. Apparently, the people here don't like you for some reason. Whatever it is, it is probably a stupid reason if they chased you like that when I found you."

Remembering the events from last night, Naruto hugged the woman. "Thank you for last night."

Yuki smiled and kissed his forehead. "It's what I do. I'm a mother after all and I can't sit by and see a child be treated so cruelly." After they pulled away, she ruffled his hair a bit. "Now, remember what I told you about your mother?" Naruto nodded. "Good. You must not tell another soul about it. If you do, they might get suspicious. And if that happens, they could find out who she was. And if that happens..." She purposely trailed off so he can figure it out himself.

Naruto paled as the implications sunk in. "They'll kill me." he whispered in a frightened tone.

Yuki brought him into her arms again. "Yes, they will kill you. So you must never tell anyone about her, not even your best friend or my daughters. This is to protect you, little one." she whispered to him. Once she felt him nod again, she pulled away. "Now go get dressed and cleaned up. After breakfast, we're going to get you some new clothes and some supplies. You'll need them for I'm gonna be teaching you about the world." He nodded again as he went to the box with his things to get his clothes. "Oh, and one more thing." she added as she has forgotten something. "Two doors to your right is the bathroom. You can wash up in there. Do you need any help?" Seeing him shake his head, she turned to leave the room. "Okay then. Call me if you need anything. I can hear you no matter where you are in the house." she added as she left the boy's new room.

xxxxx

Twenty minutes later, Yuki looked around and saw that her daughters were waiting in the living room. However, Naruto wasn't with them. "Kouen, could you be a dear and see if Naruto is ready? I'm just about finished with breakfast." she asked.

Sitting on the couch, a young girl with maroon eyes looked at the woman and replied, "Yes, Mommy." She is the same age as Tsuki and Ginko with beyond shoulder-length red hair tied in a high ponytail and maroon eyes. She's dressed in a midnight blue tank top with a white t-shirt underneath, a midnight blue skirt that goes to just above the knee and tight black shorts. She got up and headed upstairs, only to find a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy standing in front of her when she got to the top of the flight. He's garbed in a brown t-shirt and grey shorts while holding a pair of black sandals. His attire looked a bit old and worn down. She inwardly frowned, not wanting to worry or upset the boy. 'Such a sad child, he is.' she thought as she looked into his eyes, almost losing herself in them. After a moment, she saw the boy grow a little nervous. 'Whoops.' she thought, slightly blushing from staring at him. "Sorry about that. You must be Naruto, the boy Mommy told me about?" she kindly asked. When he nodded, she continued. "I'm Kouen. It's nice to meet you." She smiled at him. "Mommy said that breakfast is almost ready." He nodded again before they both headed downstairs.

Once they got downstairs, Yuki's voice was heard throughout the house. "Come and get it, my little kits. Breakfast is ready." Naruto and the three girls entered the kitchen and sat at the breakfast table. The table was set up for five people with a chair for each, plus a few extra chairs for guests. Yuki placed the food she cooked on the table. There were buttermilk pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon and buttermilk biscuits. To drink, they had milk, apple juice and orange juice. There was also a bottle of maple syrup.

After everyone served themselves and helped serve each other, which Yuki gave Naruto a quick lesson on general manners as well as table manners and etiquette. "Okay. Since we all have met you Naruto, it's time we all introduce ourselves. That way, we can learn a few things about you and vice versa." Yuki began. "I'll go first so you'll know how it's done." She then cleared her throat. "My name is Yuki Youko. I like flowers, especially white roses, snow, the ocean and I love my three lovely daughters." Said daughters smiled. "I dislike intense heat, snakes, dogs as well as ignorance, arrogance, perverts and those who insult, harm or are mean to women and children. My hobbies are gardening, reading, singing, dancing, painting, cooking and ice sculpting. My dreams for the future are to see my kits happy and to be a grandmother." she finished with a dreamy look in her eyes. She then looked a Kouen and nodded.

"My name is Kouen Youko. I like helping others, cooking, dancing and I love my mom and my sisters. I dislike the cold, snakes, dogs, arrogant people and those who insult, harm or are mean to my mom, my sisters or my friends. My hobbies are reading, singing, dancing, learning new recipes and training with my practice sword. My dream for the future is to be a great sword mistress like my idol, the Red Death." Kouen's eyes shone with confidence and determination. Naruto found Kouen's attitude admirable. She then looked at Ginko and nodded.

"My name is Ginko Youko. I also like to help others, learning and I absolutely love singing, dancing, my mom and my sisters. I dislike sharks, snakes, dogs, mean people and those who think females are weak. My hobbies are reading, singing, dancing, training with my tonfa and gazing at the moon. And to be honest, I haven't really though of any dreams for the future." Ginko's expression was one of slight embarrassment, but was quite happy and cheerful, something Naruto oddly found cute. She then looked at Tsuki and nodded.

"My name is Tsuki Youko. I like to help others out too, gardening and I love the rain, my mom and my sisters. I dislike snakes, dogs, wolves and those who pick on others. My hobbies are reading, gardening, singing, dancing, especially in the rain, and painting. My dreams for the future are to grow a vast garden full of beautiful flowers and paint it for my father." Tsuki's eyes shone with such kindness and happiness, Naruto felt comforted by her. She then looked at Naruto and nodded.

"Um, my name is Naruto Uzumaki. I like flowers and the forest. I dislike mean people, snakes and foxes." The four females frowned at that last one, but Naruto didn't notice. "I don't have any hobbies, but I would like to learn how to garden and draw someday. I also don't have any dreams for the future because of something I rather not talk about. It'll only upset you." Naruto's eyes showed so much fear and sadness towards the end that Yuki almost cried since she can sense the emotions of others.

"Naruto, why do you dislike foxes?" Kouen asked, her natural curiosity getting the best of her.

Yuki felt Naruto's fear grow when Kouen asked her question. "I-I r-ra-rather n-not s-say." he stammered out.

"Naruto, you don't have to tell us if you don't want to, okay?" Yuki kindly told him before giving Kouen a look when she saw her about to ask again. Naruto nodded and calmed down. 'I'd better find out what happened that frightened him so badly before the girls do.' she though to herself. 'There's no way he'll tell them. I'm sure of it.'

xxxxx

After breakfast, Yuki pulled her daughters away before summoning a shadow clone to speak with Naruto alone.

"Girls, listen very carefully and keep your voices down." Yuki quietly said to them. Seeing their mother serious, which is somewhat rare for them, they knew that what she's about to say is important. "For some reason, Naruto is afraid of foxes, yet he seems to like my true form. I don't know what happened, but we can't take our other forms until we find out why he fears foxes."

"But Mommy, how can he fear foxes if he saw you in your true form and wasn't afraid?" Ginko asked.

"Because of how I look in my true form." she told her daughter. "Remember that I'm one of the most beautiful amongst the kitsunes, the ryuus, even the fenikkusus and the nekomatas. I'm not too surprised he found me gorgeous, even if my shadow clone didn't hide her six other tails."

"So what do we do?" Tsuki asked. "He's living in a house full of kitsunes and he doesn't even know it!"

"Exactly, and until I find the cause of his fear of foxes, he won't. So keep them hidden at all times until I say otherwise." Yuki ordered, then added, "Besides, do you really want to lose a possible friend who thinks that the three of you are very pretty?"

All three of her daughters blushed, but Ginko's was brighter. "Mommy, we've always been this way. We're triplets!" they said in unison.

Yuki giggled. "I know, I know. But it's not like he'll fall for all three of you... not yet, at least. He's too young to understand love and has no idea what it even is." The trio frowned. Their mother has taught them about many things, including love. "Turn those frowns upside-down, my little kits. He'll be learning from the best teacher around: me!" She smiled when the girls smiled and laughed.

xxxxx

With Naruto and Yuki's clone...

"Naruto, do you mind telling me why you fear foxes?" she asked as kindly as possible as they sat on the couch. Naruto shook his head, but the clone felt his fear return. "It's alright, child. I just want to know so I can help you heal. Besides, you liked the fox you saw last night, didn't you?" Naruto nodded slowly as he calmed down. "So can you tell me why you're afraid of foxes... please?"

Naruto looked at the kind woman for a moment before rapidly shaking his head. "No! I can't! I-It's too painful." he replied, his eyes closed as his body shook violently. He doesn't even like to think about it, let alone talk about it. It's always very upsetting to him.

The clone of Yuki could literally feel the sheer amount of fear rolling off of him. 'He's terrified! What happened to him to cause such fear in his heart?' she wondered. She mentally sighed. 'It looks like he doesn't trust me enough to tell me. Perhaps someone else might know...' "It's okay, Naruto. You don't have to tell me." she told him as she pulled him into her arms. "But it would be helpful if you did, though. So can you promise to tell me when you fell ready to... please?"

The young blond looked at her and saw the kindness in her eyes. 'I don't want to tell her... or anyone!' he thought. '...but I feel as if I can trust her. But how? I just met her last night!' He closed his eyes and thought about her question. "Okay..." he replied after a moment, though Yuki could tell that he was reluctant. "I'll tell you when I'm ready, not a minute sooner."

The woman nodded while she continued to hold him in her arms.

xxxxx

Later that morning found Naruto and the Youko family shopping. Yuki wanted to get him some new clothes. After seeing Naruto's attire, she wanted to do that immediately. And since they're going clothes shopping, she might as well buy something for her daughters. He told her that he wanted to be a ninja, but doesn't think that he can become one. She promised that she will help him become the best ninja out there, which made him smile.

Once they've entered the shop, one that the Hokage suggested to her called the Kazama Armory, she looked at the four five-year-olds and said, "Go look around and see if there's anything you like. If there is, come and get me" The four nodded and started to browse.

Yuki, on the other hand, went to the counter, where a well-build man in his late-twenties with short brown hair and mocha colored eyes sat on a stool, sharpening a pair of twin swords. He's dressed in a brown workman's attire and has a ninja headband on his upper left arm. "Excuse me, but are you Arashi Kazama?" she kindly asked.

The man looked up from the swords he was working on to see a woman with long midnight blue hair and blue eyes, wearing a sea-blue top with silver trim, a long dark blue skirt and sea-blue shoes. Over her right shoulder is a small beige purse with lavender trim. "Why yes, that's me." he replied in a deep voice that sounded like he is a few years older than his appearance made him look.

Yuki smiled at him. "I was wondering if you know who that boy is over there?" she asked, pointing in Naruto's direction, who's currently looking at various pants with Tsuki.

Arashi narrowed his eyes as he looked at the boy. 'Minato?' he thought as he gazed at the boy in shock. 'No, that's not him. But...! Wait, I thought you were...' "Is that Naruto?" he slowly asked, almost hesitant in doing so.

Yuki looked at the man questionably. 'Does he know?' "Yes, that's Naruto. Why do you ask?"

All of a sudden, Naruto sneezed. "Someone must be talking about you." Tsuki commented from her spot next to him.

The young blond looked at her. "You think so?"

The dark-haired girl nodded. "Mommy said that if you sneeze, it means that someone is talking about you behind your back." she explained.

Naruto blinked as he looked at Tsuki questionably. 'I hope it's not what everyone else says about me.' he thought sadly.

It took fifteen minutes for Naruto to find an outfit that he liked and the girls to find something of their own, as they have plenty of clothes. The sisters each chose a few pairs of wristbands, as they didn't want their hands covered. Kouen's were midnight blue, Ginko's were silver and Tsuki's were dark blue. They even convinced Naruto to wear some. After he made his selection, he went into one of the changing rooms to try the clothes on. Yuki came over a minute later to see how they were doing.

When Naruto finally came out, the girls smiled. He's now wearing a black t-shirt, dark grey shorts, dark orange wristbands and black sandals. Yuki thought that there was something missing and started looking around. She came back a minute later, holding a light outdoor vest. It is dark orange with the top part being black. After he put it on, the girls nodded their approval. Naruto smiled as he looked himself over.

The Youko family plus one left the store a few minutes later, their purchases safe inside their bags. Yuki also purchased some practice ninja tools that Naruto will need, as her daughters didn't want to be ninjas, but still wanted to train as one. She also bought some medical supplies, just in case the children end up getting hurt. She privately told Naruto that this is a good place to go if he ever needed any ninja supplies, as the owner knew his father. She then gave him the same talk that he did about his mother. Naruto now knows that Yuki knew both of his parents and that they were not only great shinobi, but also hated by many, meaning that he is a target that must remain hidden until he can protect himself from his parents' enemies.

Their next stop was to get some much needed hygienic supplies since Naruto doesn't have any and they were running low themselves. Ten minutes later found the group heading back to their forest home to drop off their stuff. Once it was all put away, they headed out again. This time, to the Hokage Tower. Yuki said that she wanted to talk to the Hokage about something.

The Hokage Tower is one of Naruto's safe havens. The staff there never hurt Naruto like the villagers do. Some even protected him if he was ever nearby and scared. Smiling and waving at the secretary, the woman smiled and waved back as she let them see the Hokage. Once they've entered the office, Yuki's daughters got to see the great Fire Shadow their mother has told them about.

Looking up from his paperwork, Hiruzen Sarutobi saw Naruto and Yuki in his office and wondered why they were here. He also noticed the three girls with them and assumed that they are Yuki's daughters. "Ah, Naruto, Yuki. To what do I owe the visit?" he asked in his usual jovial voice. "And who are these lovely young angels with you two?"

Yuki giggled as her daughters blushed. "Well, these are my daughters: Kouen, Ginko and Tsuki." she said to him before introducing them to the Hokage. "Girls, this is the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi." The three young vixens waved at him, who simply waved back. "Um, I was wondering if it would be possible to enroll Naruto into the Ninja Academy." she asked politely.

Sarutobi rubbed his chin for a moment in thought. He then opened one of his desk drawers and searched for another moment before bringing out a file. When Yuki took a closer look at it, she saw that it has Naruto's name on it. "Let's see..." the old man murmured as he skimmed through the documents in the file. "Ah, here it is." he said as he found what he was looking for. "Naruto, how much did Yuki tell you about your mother?"

Naruto frowned and was about to make up a lie when Yuki spoke up. "I told him a few things about her. It would've been nice if she got to see her son. I'm sure she would have loved to teach him all that she knew."

"Yes, I'm sure that she would." Hiruzen agreed before looking at the young blond. "Naruto, according to these documents, your mother has enrolled you into the Ninja Academy and has already paid for your tuition. However, you can't attend for another two years, as you must be around seven years old to enter." Naruto's mood dropped when he heard that. "Cheer up, my boy. This will give you time to prepare for it. Some of the students would have received some type of training from their parents or clans before they enter the academy. Since you're an orphan, you would be at a disadvantage if you were to attend now." His eyes then settled on Yuki. "If it is alright with you, I can arrange for a tutor to help Naruto until he is old enough to attend the academy. And if your daughters are interested, I can extend the same courtesy to them as well."

Yuki smiled at the Fire Shadow. "It is much appreciated, but my daughters won't be attending." she stated. "However, I have intended on training them myself in what I know of the ninja arts, though my knowledge on anything past most of the basics are rather limited. If I may ask, who do you have in mind for the tutor?"

Sarutobi took a thinking pose. "Well, I would have to ask some of the chūnin and jounin who are more or less free during the times the kids are, whenever that is. I would most likely recommend my son Asuma, Might Guy or Kurenai Yuuhi." he replied. "Though my son is a bit laid back most of the time, Guy is a bit of an eccentric and Kurenai is one of the teachers at the academy. But in my opinion, those would be the best choices for general skills, taijutsu and strategy. I don't think it's wise to teach kids so young ninjutsu and genjutsu, so that can wait a few years."

Yuki nodded, agreeing with his assumptions. She intended on teaching them how to defend and protect themselves first before teaching them ninjutsu. However, her knowledge on genjutsu is limited, so she'll need to find someone would could teach them the jutsu that she couldn't. "I see your point, Lord Hokage." she said. "If it is alright, can I get a copy of the requirements for the academy, its curriculum, what jutsus are taught there and what is needed to graduate?" she asked. Sarutobi reached into his desk, pulled out an empty file and filled it with a few papers before handing it to Yuki. "Thank you." she bowed. She then looked at the four children. "Girls, why don't you three go play with Naruto back at the house. I'll be with you after I'm done here." she said before creating a shadow clone, much to Naruto's amazement. "If you're a good boy, I'll teach you the jutsu when you're old enough." she giggled. The clone smiled before wrapping her arms around the four and they all disappeared in a swirl of white rose pedals.

"My daughters love to travel by rose pedals." Yuki commented, still giggling. She then looked serious and sat down in front of the Hokage's desk.

Seeing this, Sarutobi pushed a button and told his secretary that he's in a meeting and must not be disturbed. After that, he channeled some of his chakra into a seal that is hidden under his desk. The walls of the room glowed a faint green while a few sparks were seen in a few places. Also, the kanji for 'seal' appeared on the double doors. "There. Any information disclosed will not leave this room and no one can enter this room either." Sarutobi said. "Now then, is there something you wish to tell me, Yuki?"

xxxxx

A/N: And break! I'm very sorry for the year-and-a-half-long wait, but getting this out was harder than I thought, especially with the six months I had no internet. Let me start at the beginning.

Because the story wasn't going the way I intended, I have decided to rewrite the whole thing from the beginning. I'll be using the previous story as a guideline and reference so I know what to include, what to change and how the story should go this time around. Like before, there will be no crossover whatsoever. This also includes minor crossovers with other animes, mangas, games and movies. The story will go more or less like it did before, but with a few minor and major changes to it. I'll explain these changes until I get back to where I stopped at before the rewrite: the Chūnin Exam Preliminaries.

As you can see, I have introduced my story OCs in this chapter. I believe that authors who write multiple stories for a certain anime, manga, game or movie, they have two types of OCs. There are common OCs that appear in most, if not all, the stories and there are story OCs that only appear in a single story, sometimes more, but never all of them. My story OCs for this one are Yuki Youko and her three daughters, who are all modeled after Yuuga and the Kitsune Five.

Yuki was originally Yuuga, but I changed her name. Since Yuuga only appeared as a cameo character originally, I had begun to write a side story that would show her interaction with Naruto and how she died. In fact, the first part of this chapter, mainly the very beginning up to when Yuki sung Naruto a lullaby, was as far as I got in that project. So I simply added that to the story instead of leaving it as a side story and edited it to fit the story better. Kouen is basically Houga with some of Raiga's personality and abilities added to the mix. Ginko was originally Fuuga, down to the very last detail. All I basically did was change her name. Tsuki was originally Suiga with some of Doga's personality and abilities added to the mix. Like before, these three triplets will help Naruto in his ninja career.

And before you say anything, I do everything for a reason. Nothing I do has no purpose or reason behind it. You'll see the reasons behind my madness.

Translations:

Hokage: Fire Shadow

Kyuubi: Nine-Tails

Kitsune: Fox  
Youko: Demon Fox  
Ryuu: Dragon  
Fenikkusu: Phoenix  
Nekomada: Forked-Cat

Next Time: Naruto's ninja training begins. Why does he fear foxes? And what does Yuki have to say to Sarutobi?

Later!


	2. Arc 1 Chapter 2

**The Kitsune and the Neko**

"Talking"  
'Thoughts'  
**Dire Beast  
**_Flashback_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Arc 1: The Early Years  
Chapter 2: Seals and Nightmares**

Naruto Uzumaki is a simple little boy. All he ever wanted was to have a family and friends. Within the half day he knew them, he could honestly say that Yuki Youko and her daughters are his friends. However, being someone who was lied to and betrayed before has made him a bit hesitant in believing that they are to be trusted. Yuki seems trusting enough, but he knew that appearances can be deceiving. With that thought in mind, even though it is a little cruel to them, as they've been so nice to him, he can't fully trust them until he is sure that they won't hurt him.

Growing up unloved and hated has made him untrusting of anyone that isn't Hiruzen Sarutobi or the three ANBU that has protected him throughout his lifetime. Because of the way almost everyone in the village treats him, he has to be careful not to be spotted by them. To do that, the three ANBU taught him about stealth and how not to be detected. Even though he was three when he asked them to teach him how to defend himself, they were more than willing to help him. After all, the less he ended up in the hospital, the better. They even taught him the basics of combat, though he wouldn't be too good at it until he got older and stronger. He idly wondered if any of them would be his tutor before he enters the Ninja Academy.

The main reason he wants to become a ninja is due to all the stories he was told by the three ANBU about them protecting the innocent and stopping those who cause pain and suffering to others. They almost sounded like they were the superheroes he reads about in his manga. He dreamed of being able to help others and being respected instead of abused. Though they told him that the respect they have was earned though hard work, dedication and lots of good deeds. He decided then and there that he wanted to be a ninja. He knew that it would be hard from the start, but he'll grin and bear it like he does with everything else... except his fear of foxes. But that's a whole other story.

He was pulled from his musing when Ginko started to shake his shoulders a bit to get his attention. He blinked and looked at her. "What?" he asked.

Ginko sighed. "I said, were you paying attention?" she asked, a bit exasperated. When he blinked again, she sighed again and sat down next to him. "Mommy, he wasn't paying attention." she told Yuki.

The woman sighed. This was the fifth time he spaced out since they begun an hour ago. She decided that the four five-year-olds need to learn about what is taught at the academy now instead of later. That way, they'll have an advantage over the other kids. "Naruto, I told you that you can't space out. I know you have something on your mind, but can you put it aside for now and focus on your studies." she told him gently. "If you want to follow your mother's footsteps, you have to pay attention and learn what I'm teaching you. Your mother wasn't a slacker so you shouldn't be one either."

Yuki inwardly smirked when she saw Naruto focus on her again. She quickly learned that using his mother in a certain way would have an effect on the boy. She knew that he wanted to make his mother proud and she intends on helping him do just that. But she first has to get him to focus on the task at hand. 'Not very easy unless I bring her up.' she thought to herself.

xxxxx

Looking over the village from his office windows, Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered on what he was told earlier.

_"There. Any information disclosed will not leave this room and no one can enter this room either." Sarutobi said. "Now then, is there something you wish to tell me, Yuki?"_

_Yuki nodded. "First off, did you know that Naruto fears foxes?"_

_Sarutobi raised an eyebrow. "No I didn't, but the villagers do hate and fear foxes because of what happened five years ago." he replied._

_"Yes, I know. They believe that Naruto is the fox lord when he clearly is not." said Yuki as she looked through the documents in the file Sarutobi gave her. After a few moments, she frowned. "Lord Hokage, why are the requirements for the academy this easy? I mean, I can have them ready to graduate by age ten if this is all they'll need to learn to become ninjas." she spoke._

_Hiruzen sighed. "It's the council's idea, not mine. If I could, I would have added a few classes to the curriculum and raised the requirements to graduate to a much higher level than what they are now." he said before sighing again. "Sadly, Danzou seems to overrule me because most of the civilians side with him. Just so you know, there are more civilians on the council than shinobi. If Minato was alive, they wouldn't be like this. But I'm too old and I've lost a great deal of respect because of Danzou."_

_Yuki shook her head. "Politics are only for people who love to argue. We kitsunes don't have a council, as we believe that our lives should not be toyed with by those who simply sit on their asses all day and complain about everything. Lord Kyuubi did have advisors though, myself being one of them, but all we did was advice and suggest. Never did we complain or argue unless we felt that it was truly an unwise decision, not that he simply disagreed with us. If an advisor ever fought against our lord because he simply disagreed with their suggestion or the advisor tried to demand something, they are striped of their tails and banished for treason." she explained. "Your Council of Elders seems to only want power. They're trying to increase their power over the village by taking it from you and making you do their workload, hence the reason why you have so much paperwork."_

_"How do you know all of this?" the old Hokage asked, getting more and more curious and suspicious of Yuki._

_"I had a shadow clone watching you this morning and it even dropped in on the meeting you had an hour ago." Yuki smirked. "We kitsunes are masters of illusion, stealth, deception, trickery and, my personal favorite, seduction. If a vixen has her eyes on a mate, she'll win his heart no matter what."_

_"Not only that, but one of my superiors have been keeping an eye on this village and has seen it herself." she added. "Until I tell Naruto of my true reason for being here, I cannot tell you. I am under strict orders not to tell anyone until I tell him first."_

_"And when will that be?" Hiruzen asked, hoping that he'll still be alive when she finally tells him._

_"When I believe he can handle it." Yuki told him. She then became even more serious. "But there's something I need to know." She paused to bring out a few photos from her purse and handed them to Sarutobi. Sarutobi looked at the photos with wide eyes. "These are pictures I took last night when Naruto was asleep. I want to know what happened to my charge that most of his body is covered in seals." she growled, angry that such a thing has happened to the boy._

_The photos Yuki took showed Naruto's bare chest and back, which are littered with various seals and scars, the latter which seemed to have been blade or claw wounds. He recognized some of the seals, including the ones on his navel, but the others he was not sure of. "To be honest, I didn't know he had any others seal on him, besides for the Reaper Death Seal, the Double Tetragram Seal and the Eight Sign Seal that the Fourth Hokage placed on him." he admitted. "Sadly, I am not a seal master, but I am quite familiar with some of the seals." He then studied the photos more closely for a few minutes before continuing. "Minus those three seals, Naruto seems to have seventy-two seals on him. Most of them are Chakra Suppression Seals. I recognize two of them as Blood Locking Seals."_

_"Blood Locking Seals?" Yuki repeated. She didn't like the sound of that one._

_"Yes. They are for sealing away bloodlines. Naruto seems to have three of them. The two underneath his shoulder blades are for physical-based bloodlines while the one above his navel is for chakra-based bloodlines." At this point, Sarutobi frowned. "It appears that someone may have found out about Naruto's heritage and is trying to cripple the boy even further than he already has been due to the villager's hatred."_

_"Is there a way to remove them?" Yuki asked, tears forming in her eyes. "I know that Lord Kyuubi can remove them easily, as he created the sealing arts. But is there a seal master that isn't too far away?"_

_Filing the new information given by Yuki away for later, Sarutobi sighed. "There is, but he's a least a week away from the village." he replied. "My old student, Jiraiya, can easily remove these seals, though it looks like it won't be without a price for Naruto."_

_"What kind of price?" she asked, truly fearing the answer._

_"In a nutshell, he may never have access to either of his bloodlines, if he does have them." Sarutobi said sadly. "I know that he has one, but he may have both of his mother's bloodlines."_

_Yuki wiped her tears away. "Isn't there a way for him to keep his bloodlines?"_

_"There is, but I don't know if she'll do it." he said to her. "My other student, Tsunade, should be able to heal his body to where he'll have access to his bloodlines. However, the hard part is convincing her to do it. She won't return to the village no matter what and the council won't let Naruto leave the village to go see her."_

_Yuki growled angrily. "Arrogant mortals. They try to turn him into a weapon, yet they have everyone fearing him and wanting him dead. It would have been better if my lord destroyed this place to rid itself of the taint that poisons this peaceful land." she muttered._

_Sarutobi sighed tiredly, yet he agreed with the fox-woman. 'Minato, you shouldn't have died for these fools. You should have taken them to safety instead of being the hero that you are.' he thought to himself. Despite how honorable and compassionate his late successor is, there were times when he was simply an idiot. Sadly though, the Nine-Tailed Fox appeared too close to the village to evacuate all of the civilians in time, especially since they were all panicking. It was even more difficult because the man's wife was in labor when the demon fox appeared._

_Shaking those thoughts out of his head, he said, "I'll contact Jiraiya about the seals on Naruto and I'll contact Tsunade about healing him once the seals are removed. If necessary, I'll have Jiraiya take Naruto straight to Tsunade, the council be damned. My question to you is this: do you intend on telling him about his connection to Tsunade?"_

_Yuki looked the Hokage in the eye and replied, "No. I'll leave that for the woman to decide. Personally, I'd say that she should. If she knew the truth, then she would have stayed to take care of him, wouldn't she?"_

_Sarutobi shook his head. "No, I don't think she would. She has watched someone that's like a son to her die for the village and has seen someone that's like a daughter to her dead, leaving their only child without parents. If Tsunade did know, she would have taken Naruto with her and never return, fearing for his life if he did come back here to become a ninja." He then rested his chin on his hands. "My advice is to tell her the truth, but make sure that Jiraiya is there and not Naruto. Chances are that if Naruto knew now, he may decide to stay with her and not come back, as too many people hate him for what your lord did half a decade ago. And if that happens, I'm afraid that neither you nor I could convince him otherwise, especially if he finds out why they hate him."_

'Tsunade, I hope you make the right choice... for Naruto's sake.' Hiruzen thought before he heard two puffs of smoke. Turning around, he saw a light blue toad with dark blue markings and yellow eyes wearing a sleeveless jacket with the kanji for 'princess' on the back inside a dark blue circle sitting on his desk. Next to it is a pale white slug the same size as the toad with blue markings and pale blue eyes. Between the two are a pair of scrolls. One has the kanji for 'toad' on it while the other has the kanji for 'slug'.

**"Hi. I am Gamahime, sent by Master Jiraiya."** greeted the toad in a young, feminine voice as it raised a webbed hand in a greeting gesture.

**"Greetings. I am Akira, sent by Mistress Tsunade."** greeted the slug, who also has a young, feminine voice.

**"We have a message from them."** they both said as they motioned towards the two scrolls between them.

Sarutobi picked up the toad scroll and opened it. It read...

_Sarutobi-sensei,_

_I have received your message, via chimpanzee, and I'm appalled by what the boy has been through. Even more so that he has over seventy seals on him that are designed to cripple him as he grows up. Those seals, from what I can judge from the copies of the photos you sent me, could have remained undetected his whole life unless you were actually looking for them. Whoever put them on him knew what they were doing._

_Like you figured, most of the seals were for suppressing his chakra, which would have actually screwed up his control of it, since the Nine-Tailed Fox's demonic power is flowing through him. The seals Minato placed on him were supposed to keep the fox at bay and the boy's chakra is supposed to suppress the youki while allowing him to use it. However, since most of his chakra is being suppressed, the demonic energy is allowed to flow through him instead of being suppressed. And like you also figured, Blood Locking Seals have been placed on him, sealing up any possible bloodline he may have. Though if he ever developed a visual kekkei genkai, it won't be sealed away. What's more is that various other seals were placed on him. These seals seem to stunt his mental and physical growth, give him a short attention span and even one that gives him chronic nightmares. That last one seems to be recent, by my guess, and very potent._

_In short, only I or the Fourth Hokage could remove them. Perhaps the Nine-Tailed Fox, if what this Yuki said about it is true. I know that the Red Dove could easily remove them, but only after she killed the ones who applied them. Anyway, I'm about four days away and have even seen Tsunade not too long before your chimp arrived. I'll talk to her and see if she'll help me, if only for the boy's sake. As you've told me, she'll need to heal the boy of the injuries those seals caused, as the damage has already been done and any possible bloodlines, minus visual jutsu, are out of his reach. Although I doubt she'll come back to the village, so I might have to take him to her. I hope that's alright._

_Jiraiya_

'Thank you, Jiraiya. Hopefully, she'll help.' he thought, glad for the good news, but still troubled over the bad news. Whoever put those seals on Naruto really wanted him dead. If he ever finds out who did it, that person will pay for it with their life. Putting the scroll down, he picked up the slug scroll and read it.

_Sarutobi-sensei,_

_A lemur dropped by and gave me a scroll addressed from you. I have to say, what the hell were they thinking? I mean, how dare they lie to me and say that Naruto was dead! I have half a mind to come back just to get him and not allow him to return! However, if I did that, I could never look his parents in the eye when I see them again. Instead, I'll come back to see him and help teach him what I taught Kushina. And before you say anything, I won't tell him that I trained his late mother. Personally though, I believe that she's still alive. I mean, her body was never found and where she should have been was a red feather, which I still have by the way._

_I won't be there for long, but if it's alright, I would like to take Naruto during the summer until he graduates the Ninja Academy. That way, he'll be prepared for anything and everything the world might, and most likely will, throw at him. I assure you that when I feel he's ready, he'll know the whole truth; about the fox, his family... everything. I'll even drill in the fact that he must not tell another soul into his skull, as he might be just like his parents; stubborn and thickheaded._

_Since you told me that you informed Jiraiya, I'll be coming back with him. Remember to tell those old farts that my visit isn't permanent, as I'm still very pissed at the village. And after what I just learned from you, I can add three more reasons to hate the village. But if Naruto wants to leave, neither you nor the council are stopping me from keeping him. I will not lose him to anyone... not again._

_Tsunade_

_P.S.: Shizune and Tonton gives you their regards._

'If that is your wish Tsunade, then I will allow you to keep him if he wants to stay with you. Though I do wish you would stay, if only for Naruto and your students.' he thought before putting the scrolls into the hidden pockets inside his Hokage robes. "Thank you for getting these to me so quickly." he said to the two summons. They both bowed before vanishing in a puff of smoke. 'Now to inform Yuki and wait for them to arrive.' he thought to himself.

xxxxx

That night, Naruto sat in his new bedroom, deep in thought. He had his first real dinner with the Youko family. The food Yuki cooked was delicious and he even commented her on it. During dinner, they discussed their schedule for the next two years. They were to wake up at six in the morning, since they are still kids after all, and be ready for breakfast at seven a.m. sharp. After breakfast, they would stretch before running laps until eight thirty, which is when they would begin their training in taijutsu, weapons, stealth and survival with spars at least twice a week. At eleven thirty, they would get cleaned up and rest before having lunch at noon. After lunch would be chakra training. They need to be able to feel, draw and control their chakra before they could begin to learn any jutsu. At two in the afternoon, they would begin their book studies until dinner, as they need this for everyday purposes. Yuki told them that if they kept this up, then they could qualify as ninjas by the time they turn ten.

From just outside his room, Yuki looked at her young charge with a small smile on her angelic face. Despite the fact that he does not trust her or her daughters yet, she can feel the trust beginning to show. She then lightly knocked on the door frame, making herself known to the blond. "Naruto, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked softly.

Naruto nodded before sitting up, as he was lying down on his bed. Yuki sat next to him before she began. "Naruto, I received a message from the Hokage while I was preparing dinner. It said that in four days, someone will come to the village to see you."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Really? Who?" he asked, curious as to who they may be.

"He didn't say, but he did mention that they are a man and two women that wants to meet you." she lied. She knows exactly who's coming. "When you meet them, you must be on your best behavior. They are both well respected here. Though I believe it would be rather refreshing for them to see just how lively you are." After Naruto began to open up to them, even if only a little, he showed that he has a lot of energy... even more than her daughters.

Naruto nodded before allowing Yuki to tuck him in. "Ms. Yuki." he whispered, getting her attention. "What are my parents like?"

Yuki blinked before she smiled gently. "Well, I don't know much about your father, but your mother was a bit of a tomboy. She had a lot of energy and was great with both a sword and her fists." she said, losing herself to the past. "She was one of the kindest and most compassionate people I have ever met. She was also very beautiful. Men wanted her and women envied her. However, she only had eyes for one man. I must say, your father was a very lucky man. I wish you could have met them."

'Yeah... Me too.' he thought sadly.

"Don't you worry, little one. When I believe you are ready to handle it, I'll tell you who they were. I'll even show you what they looked like using a jutsu I will teach you." Yuki said before kissing his forehead. "Good night, Naruto."

"Good night, Ms. Yuki." And with that, Naruto closed his eyes and went straight to sleep.

Without making a sound, Yuki left Naruto's room and shut his door, leaving it open just a crack. 'Being a mother has its perks.' she smirked before going to bed herself.

xxxxx

Later that night, Ginko woke up when her ears were assaulted by someone screaming. Startled, she exited her room and followed the screaming, which led her to Naruto's room. She saw her mother and sisters up, which meant that they heard him as well. 'No surprise. I think he woke up the whole village with that.' she thought to herself.

When the four vixens entered his room, the sight that greeted them hurt more than their ears did at the moment. They saw Naruto holding his head and screaming for someone to help him as several rather large cuts appeared his body. Yuki recognized those cuts as claw marks... from a canine demon. They were too shallow to actually draw blood, but they were quite painful nonetheless.

Recovering quickly, Yuki darted over to him and gathered him up in her arms. "Shh... it's okay, Naruto. Mommy's here." she cooed. That's when she noticed a seal on the back of his neck that's glowing an angry crimson. 'Is that the cause of this?' she thought, greatly disturbed by the seal, as she continued to comfort the boy. After the shock wore off, Ginko wrapped her arms around him and helped her mother calm Naruto down, with Kouen and Tsuki quickly joining her.

It took a few moments for Naruto's screams to die down to only a whimper. A few more moments later, the seal on his neck stopped glowing and vanished without a trace. Even with the seal no longer active, the vixens can still hear him whimpering.

"Mommy, is he better now?" Ginko asked, worried about her new friend.

"I'm afraid not, Ginko." Yuki replied sadly. "Somehow, someone cursed him before we could get to him. I think this curse is causing him to have chronic nightmares."

"Chronic nightmares?" Tsuki asked. She may be the smartest, but she never heard that term before. The fact that it has 'nightmare' in it can only mean that it's bad.

"It means that Naruto has nightmares on a regular basis," Yuki explained. "though I've never seen a nightmare physically harm someone before."

"There must be something we can do for him, Mommy." Kouen spoke up, her protective nature kicking in.

"I'm afraid there's not much we can do except be there for him." Yuki then placed her hand, which glowed a soft green, on his forehead. The girls saw the cuts on his body heal almost instantly. "There, all better. Now, let's all go back to bed." she said before placing Naruto back on his bed.

What she didn't expect was that when she stepped away from him to leave, he started crying again and calling out for his mother. She frowned and decided to stay with him, as it may calm him down and allow him to sleep peacefully. But before she could, Ginko was already at his side.

Ginko wrapped her arms around him and whispered calming words into his ear, just like Yuki did for her when she had a nightmare. Naruto calmed down after a few moments and Ginko turned to her mother, who just stood there, watching her daughter calm the young boy down. "Mommy, is it alright if I stay with him for tonight... please?" she asked, using every ounce of her adorableness in hopes that her mother won't say no.

Seeing that Naruto was calm and might start crying again if he's alone, Yuki nodded before ushering Kouen and Tsuki out of the bedroom. Once they left, Ginko blushed before she tucked herself and Naruto in. "Don't worry, Naruto. I will never leave you." she whispered before kissing his cheek. She then snuggled up to him and went to sleep, her blush still present. After she did, Naruto pulled her closer to him with a small smile on his face.

xxxxx

A few days have passed since that night. Besides for the training regimen that Yuki has the four kids following, the days were uneventful for the most part.

The following morning after the incident, Naruto woke up to the sight of Ginko snuggled up next to him. Since he had no idea what to do in such a situation, as he has always slept alone, he woke her up and asked her why she was in bed with him. Ginko explained what happened the night before and that her staying with him would keep the nightmares away. To her surprise, he didn't look as shocked as she thought he would. He did thank her for keeping the bad dreams away, but told her that he never had anyone comfort him in anyway before, except for the times Yuki did the day before. After that, he felt a bit more at ease around the Youko family. Strangely though, he's developed a bit of an attachment to Ginko, which amused the others to no end when they started teasing them. Said teasings caused the two to blush, Ginko more so than Naruto.

After learning of the seal on his neck, Yuki questioned Naruto about his nightmare in hopes of finding out a way to help him better. Sadly, he refused to talk about it. It took Yuki three days to find out and she had to promise not to tell another soul, not even her daughters, about it. After she agreed, he explained.

Turns out that the nightmare is the cause of his fear of foxes. Naruto told her that about a month before she found him, someone hit him in the neck, knocking him out. When he woke up later, the back of his neck itched. Since then, he started having nightmares of a giant fox with nine tails attacking the village. Yuki quickly assumed that he was somehow reliving the night the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked, though she didn't tell him that. And just as a giant toad with a person on its back arrived, the fox transformed into a boy his age and attacks him. Naruto explained that the fox-boy looked just like him, but with red hair, red slitted eyes, a pair of long ears on top of his head and nine long tails behind him. Afterwards, he started to cry and could not continue any further before he was comforted by Yuki.

What Naruto didn't know was that the Yuki whose arms he was in was merely a shadow clone created by the real Yuki, who was busy comforting her eavsedropping daughters. After hearing the whole thing, the family decided to always be there for Naruto no matter what. They've been helping Naruto catch up to the girls' level in earnest ever since.

We now find the family of four with Naruto outside of the Hokage's office. Yuki created a shadow clone and had it watch the four five-year-olds for her as she went inside. Inside the office with her and the Hokage were several people. Most of them were the various heads of the shinobi clans.

After activating the seal on his desk to make sure that the office is secure and everyone introducing themselves, Sarutobi spoke up. "Now that we all know each other and that my office is secure, let us begin. Ms. Yuki, if you would." he said, motioning towards the fox-woman.

Yuki stood from her seat and cleared her throat. "Thank you, Lord Hokage. Five years ago, I was assigned by my superiors to be the caretaker of one Naruto Uzumaki. I've spent that time trying to find my young charge, only to find him being beaten by a mob of villagers exactly five nights ago." She ignored the gasps that came from two of the women. "I managed to save and heal him before I took him into my home to care for him. Since then, my three daughters and I have been helping him catch up and learn what he should have learned already. However, that is not easy when the boy has over seventy restricting seals on his person." She paused and glanced around, seeing various looks of shock, anger, sadness and a look of disappointment. "I propose that the seals are removed as soon as possible and his body healed, as the seals have done near irreparable damage to him."

Yuki stopped and looked at one of the clan heads who has a question for her. "What type of damage does the boy have that is near irreparable?" was the question of a man with green eyes, long platinum blond hair tied into a ponytail dressed in the standard jounin uniform and vest. Earlier, he introduced himself as Inoichi Yamanaka, head of the Yamanaka clan and owner of the Yamanaka flower shop.

"The boy's mental and physical health and growth are being stunted by these seals. Not only that, but his chakra is being suppressed, which is allowing the Nine-Tailed Fox's power to flow through him." Yuki replied. She then pointed at a man with dark eyes with red lines going from his eyes to his cheeks, long, spiky white hair tied in a think ponytail garbed in a grey fighter's gi with a black belt tying it closed, mesh underarmor, a red sleeveless jacket with a large scroll behind him, getas on his feet and a custom headband with the kanji for 'oil' on his forehead. "According to Master Jiraiya, one of the seals placed on the boy by the Fourth Hokage uses his chakra to suppress the demonic power of the Nine-Tailed Fox. But because his chakra is being suppressed, the fox's power is allowed to flow freely without restraint." Her face hardened slightly. "Humans cannot handle demonic energy in any amount. Only a demon or a human blessed by a demon can handle and control youki. Also, even if blessed, too much youki is fatal to humans. That is why his chakra is suppressing it. But because it isn't, the youki is allowed to flow freely through his system, weakening and corroding his chakra coils. Eventually, he'll suffer from youki poisoning at best or die at worst. This is partially why these seals must be removed and his body healed." she finished.

"And what are the other reasons?" asked a woman with shaggy brown hair, slitted brown eyes dressed in a tight brown shirt and black pants with a jounin vest on.

Yuki looked at the woman, known as Tsume Inuzuka, matriarch of the Inuzuka clan and owner and head of the Inuzuka Veterinary Hospital. "I know who his parents are and the boy is suspected of having both of his mother's bloodlines." Yuki whispered, but everyone heard her. Many eyes widened. "However, Blood Locking Seals have been placed on him, locking these bloodlines away. Even if the seals are removed, he still won't have access to his mother's kekkei genkai."

"Have you told the boy of this?" asked a male jounin who looks like a younger version of the Hokage.

"I have not, Asuma. And until I know for certain that he can use his bloodlines again, I will not." Yuki replied. She had the pleasure of meeting the jounin a couple days ago. When asked why he and the Hokage look so much alike, he stated that he is his son. "If Naruto learned of his bloodlines and the fact that he is forever unable to use then, he'll be both heartbroken and extremely pissed at the village. That is something we cannot allow, as he would possibly release the Nine-Tailed Fox to destroy the village, his own life be damned." she continued.

"Which is why Jiraiya and I were asked to come back." remarked a hazel-eyed, blonde-haired woman with a huge chest wearing a grey tunic and pants, a short-sleeve green jacket, high-heeled sandals and a jade green necklace. "I am not going to sit here while this is happening to him. He is my godson after all." This piece of information shocked many. "Jiraiya, how long would it take you to remove those seals?"

The white-haired man rubbed his chin in thought. "Well, considering the number of seals, I'd say about five hours for all of them." he replied. "Downside is that removing them will be quite painful, so he must be put to sleep to minimize the pain he'll feel. However Tsunade, you must heal him immediately after I remove the Blood Locking Seals or else his bloodlines may remain locked away." He then turned towards Yuki. "What bothers me is that seal on the boy's neck. Did he tell you when he got it?" he asked.

"He didn't just tell me, I saw it in action." Yuki replied with a sad frown. "From what he told me, he received it about a month before I found him. Like you figured, the seal is very potent and I believe you should remove it before the others. A few nights ago, the seal activated and he was in terrible pain. Just what kind of seal is it, Master Jiraiya?"

"The Nightmare Vision Seal." Jiraiya answered. "It's based on the Nightmare Vision genjutsu and is designed to give the victim recurring nightmares on a nightly basis. However, it doesn't cause any sort of pain whatsoever."

"Then the seal must have been altered for it to do such a thing." Yuki added, tears in her eyes. "When it activated, various claw marks appeared on his body and he was screaming for help. It took me and my daughters to calm him down and even then, he didn't want us to leave him alone." She paused to calm herself down. "What's worse was that I recognized those marks. Only a canine demon could make them. The closest would be a feline demon, but there aren't any around here that I know of." One of the clan heads looked slightly nervous, but it was only for a fraction of a second and she barely noticed it.

"I see. So the seal has been enhanced to cause him physical pain along with the chronic nightmares." Jiraiya stated, shaking his head. "This is bad news indeed. The Reaper Death Seal that binds the fox to him requires him to have a strong will, something he inherited from both his parents. With this seal weakening his will on a nightly basis, the seal could break and unleash the fox, killing Naruto in the process."

"I will not let that happen!" exclaimed Tsunade and Yuki.

"Then we best remove those seals at once. The longer we wait, the worse off he'll be." Jiraiya mentioned. Tsunade and Yuki nodded in agreement.

"Lord Hokage, is there anything else we were called here for?" asked a man with spiky brown hair wearing sunglasses, a grey trench coat, dark pants and a gourd on his back. A leaf headband rested on his forehead. His name is Shibi Aburame, head of the Aburame clan. "I assume there must be more if you called us all here. Otherwise, you wouldn't have wasted your time as well as ours."

"You're right, Shibi. I did call you all here for more than that." Sarutobi replied. "In two years, Naruto will be attending the Ninja Academy along with your sons and daughters. I believe it would be best if he got to know them before entering the academy."

"Right now, the only friends his age that Naruto has are my three daughters. He doesn't know anyone else and he told me that some of the other kids his age pick on him, mostly because their parents tell them to." Yuki added. "I don't want Naruto to think that everyone in this village hates him by what those who can't let go of the past do to him. So I suggest that he meets your children in an attempt to befriend them. I know for a fact that he wouldn't harm them; he is too kind to do such a thing. Besides, my shadow clones would keep them safe if he does leave my house to meet them."

"Not only that, but his ANBU guards will be watching him as well." stated a man with silver hair wearing a dog mask, a black bodysuit with grey body armor, armguards and shinguards and a ninjatō on his back. "Besides, I still have a promise to keep."

"A promise?" Yuki asked the ANBU.

"Yes. He wants to become a ninja and I promised to help him whenever and however I can." the dog-masked ANBU replied. "If possible, I'll even train the boy once he becomes a ninja. I'm sure he would be ecstatic to learn that his jounin instructor is one of the ANBU that's been protecting him his whole life."

"I'm sure that he would." said Jiraiya with a smile.

xxxxx

Later that day, Yuki told Naruto to wait in his room for the ones who came to meet him to arrive. He is anxious to know who they are. He is also nervous. Yuki told him that they are well respected in the village and that he must not disrespect them, as they would be helping him with his chronic nightmares.

While he waited, he spent his time reading a few of the picture books in his room. On the first day of his training, they learned that he couldn't read too well and he could barely write. Yuki focused most of his studies on improving his reading and writing skills. He learned about the alphabet and numbers on the first day and can easily write and identify them. While he read, he sometimes called for help when he tried to pronounce a word he didn't know and got stuck.

An hour, seven books and a trip to the restroom later, Yuki knocked on his door. "Naruto, you still in here?" Yuki called to him.

Naruto looked at the door, seeing Yuki and three others, an old man and two women, behind her. "I'm still here, Ms. Yuki." he replied.

Yuki smiled and let herself in with the three behind her following. The man shut the door as Yuki spoke up again. "Naruto, these are the ones who came to meet you." she said, motioning to the others in the room. "This is Jiraiya the Toad Sage," The man raised his hand in a greeting gesture. "Tsunade the Slug Queen," The blonde woman smiled and gently waved at him. "her apprentice, Shizune, and her pig, Tonton." The second woman is around eighteen years old with short dark hair wearing a bluish-black kimono and high-heeled sandals. In her arms is a pig that's wearing a blue jumper and a pearl necklace. The woman waved at him while the pig oinked.

Naruto looked at the three and asked, "Are you going to help me with my chronic nightmares?"

At first, the three were confused until they remembered Yuki telling them that he thinks they're here to get rid of the nightmares he suffers from. Tsunade stepped forward and gently caressed his left cheek. "Of course we are, Naruto. I'm a doctor and seeing someone in pain is not something I like to see." she replied gently. "Just lay down and relax and we'll get rid of those bad dreams."

Seeing so much kindness in those hazel eyes of hers, Naruto complied and laid down on his bed. Tsunade whispered soothing words into his ear while her left hand went through a chain of hand signs. After a moment, she put her left index and middle fingers on his forehead and he instantly went to sleep. "Okay Jiraiya, he's asleep. Remember not to be too loud or he'll wake up." she whispered. "Shizune, get the barriers ready. We're going to remove those seals as soon as they are."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade." Shizune replied as she sat Tonton on the ground and went through two chains of hand signs, one right after the other. While she put up the barriers, Tsunade gently removed Naruto's shirt and flipped him over. She then stepped back as Jiraiya looked for the seals on the boy's body.

Once Shizune gave the signal, Jiraiya began removing the seals on the little boy. As expected, it was painful for Naruto as he whimpered in his sleep, tears rolling down his whiskered cheeks as Yuki held his hand. After five hours, the last seal was removed and his body healed of all the damage the seals and their removal caused.

After they were finished, both Jiraiya and Tsunade were tired. 'Phew, I'm not as young as I used to be.' they thought to themselves as Jiraiya leaned against the wall while Tsunade sat in Naruto's chair. After resting for a minute, she got up, drew a blood sample and stored it away.

"Um, Lady Tsunade, why did you draw a sample of Naruto's blood?" Yuki wondered.

"To not only see if his bloodlines are unlocked, but to see if he has both like his mother did." Tsunade replied. "We'll know if he does or not by tomorrow afternoon."

"When exactly do you plan on telling him?" Jiraiya curiously asked.

Tsunade and Yuki exchanged looks before turning their attention to the Toad Sage. "When I believe he is ready, he'll know about his bloodlines, his family, the fox and my true reason for being here." was Yuki's answer. "Probably not all at once and, most likely, not in that order."

"I have to agree. If he can't handle the knowledge or if he would go around telling everyone in sight about his parents, I won't tell him." was Tsunade's answer. "By the way, what is your true reason for being here?" she asked the young woman.

Yuki sighed, wondering when they would ask her that question. "I can't tell you until I tell Naruto first." she replied. "Those are my orders from my superiors. I am not to breathe a word about what I am or why I am here until I inform my charge."

"Then I hope you don't mind me taking him during the summer. He is my godson and I promised Kushina that I would protect and take care of him." Tsunade said in a low voice that no one outside the room could hear.

"If that is what he wants, then I don't mind." Yuki replied with a smile. "If you want, my daughters could join you if you plan on training him. Medical Ninjutsu would be great for them."

"Hmm... I'll consider it." said Tsunade before she turned to her godson and kissed his forehead. "I have to go now Naruto, but I'll see you tomorrow so we can get to know each other." she whispered before she left with Shizune and Tonton in tow.

Jiraiya chuckled, seeing how his old friend and teammate was acting. "Just like old times..." he muttered. When he saw Yuki's questionable gaze, he elaborated. "Tsunade was like this with the Fourth Hokage when he was a gennin. For some reason, they were very kind to each other. If I didn't know better, I could've sworn they were mother and son."

"Were they?" asked Yuki.

Jiraiya shook his head. "Minato was an orphan; no one knew who his parents were. Tsunade did have a son, but he disappeared after he was born and is presumed dead. Tsunade's still upset about it and I make sure to never bring it up. Besides me, only Sarutobi-sensei and a few others know about her son. Not even Shizune knows about him. I suggest you don't mention that you know about it. It's a very touchy subject for her."

"I understand, Master Jiraiya." Yuki said, then asked, "Um, do you know who the father was?"

"Sorry, but I don't. I doubt that even she knows." Jiraiya replied.

"Poor girl... Her own flesh and blood taken from her at such a young and tender age." sadly said Yuki. "I don't think I could handle it if I lost one of my girls, especially so soon after giving them life. It would be heartbreaking." Jiraiya nodded at that, remembering how devastated Tsunade was when she lost her child.

xxxxx

A/N: I'm going to end the chapter right here, as I ran out of ideas to continue it on further. Before I start getting crap about some of the things I did, here me out and listen.

To do what I had planned for my story, I had to introduce the sannin earlier than I did before, which would have been after the Chūnin Preliminaries were over. Originally, Tsunade, Shizune and Tonton were introduced to Naruto when he was six. For the plot and some of the events I have planned for later to work, Naruto needed to meet Tsunade sooner. As for Jiraiya, Naruto never met him in the story, but he has heard about him. This time around, he gets to meet him. Also, if you remember, Naruto started doing errands for Sarutobi soon after he was kicked out of the orphanage. I'm still going to have him do that, but I'm currently debating if I should add a few scenes of him on those errands. I'm not sure as of yet. If I do though, it'll be during the next chapter.

I know you're all wondering when Hinata's going to make her appearance. Well, she'll make her debut during the next chapter. From this point on, you'll see familiar scenes and events from the first four or five chapters of the original story. Obviously, they'll be slightly different to fit the changes I've made and I need to make sure that the spelling and grammar are correct. I'm not exactly perfect, mind you.

One more thing. I've noticed from the reviews I got for last chapter that some of you are hoping for a particular pairing, but are a little disappointed because it may not be in it this time due to the fact that there's only one filter name. I may be misunderstanding the reviews a bit, so if I am, I apologize in advance. Anyway, from my point of view, the filter characters are the two main characters in a story. They shouldn't be the main pairing unless the story revolves around that pairing. This story has two filter characters, but the second shall be revealed next chapter, as she wasn't in this or the last chapter. I am not saying that this is the pairing. I'm saying that the story will mostly revolve around these two. Again, I apologize if I am misinterpreting some of the reviews from the last chapter.

xxxxx

A/N: I have included this deleted scene as I had intended on having Naruto explain why he fears foxes last chapter, but later decided against it. Just so you know, this scene was one of the main reasons behind my writer's block during that chapter. I had to take it out because I didn't know how to proceed past it and just had Naruto refuse to tell Yuki why he fears foxes. Plus, it makes it a little more realistic once I thought about it. So, instead of editing it and putting it in this chapter, I made it into a deleted scene. Remember, this scene was when a shadow clone of Yuki questioned Naruto about his fear of foxes after they had their first breakfast together.

**Deleted Scene:**

With Naruto and Yuki's clone...

"Naruto, do you mind telling me why you fear foxes?" she asked as kindly as possible as they sat on the couch. Naruto shook his head, but the clone felt his fear return. "It's alright, child. I just want to know so I can help you heal. Besides, you liked the fox you saw last night, didn't you?" Naruto nodded slowly as he calmed down. "So can you tell me why you're afraid of foxes... please?"

Naruto looked at the kind woman for a moment before nodding slowly. "Okay, but don't tell anyone." he said shyly. He doesn't like even thinking about it, let alone talking about it. It's always very upsetting to him.

"Don't worry, I won't tell my daughters." Yuki said to him.

He nodded before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "Okay. For as long as I can remember, the adults have always called me a monster, a demon and even a demon fox to my face. They'll either glare at me and throw things at me, which are usually sharp or heavy. They won't let me into any of the stores and if I do go in, they'll either overcharge me for their worse stuff or chase me out with a broom. They also keep their children away, saying that I'm a bad boy who would hurt them if they get too close. It gets so much worse on my birthday, as they form huge mobs and chase me until help comes just in time to stop them from killing me. I don't know why they do it, I'm always a good boy!"

He had to take a pause, as he is openly crying now. "About a month ago, someone knocked me out and when I came to, the back of my neck itched. Since then, every now and then, I have these nightmares about a giant fox with nine tails attacking the village. I know it's just a dream, but it feels so real. And just as a giant toad with a person on its head arrives, the fox turns into me, but with red hair, red eyes, long ears and nine foxtails. It then attacks me." He had to stop there. Even going this far is too much for him. Going any further would be pushing it.

Yuki felt for the boy and scooped him up into her arms and let him cry on her shoulder. "Shh... Shh... it's okay, Naruto. Just let it out. Let it all out. It's okay." Yuki said soothingly as he continued to cry.

xxxxx

In the other room, the real Yuki and her daughters heard everything Naruto said. Yuki's currently busy comforting her crying daughters, who broke into tears upon hearing about his life. Even Yuki is shedding tears for him. 'How? How could these humans be so cruel to a mere child? Not even us demons would do this to a child, especially an orphan. I guess what Lord Kyuubi said was true after all. Humans are more greedy and arrogant than any other living creature in existence and are the only animal that can hate their own kind.' she thought through her tears. 'Well, it's time I keep my promise and protect this boy. I may have been five years late, but I won't let that hinder me or him!'

'That explains the sadness and loneliness in his eyes. Why would this village do this to him?' Kouen thought, still shedding tears for him. As the eldest, her duty is to protect her sisters. She couldn't stand seeing them hurt by someone in front of her, be it physically, mentally or emotionally. The same goes for her mother and her friends. Hearing about what Naruto went through has really gotten to her. 'I guess I'll add him to my list. Since he doesn't have a friend yet, I'll be his very first.' she finished with finality. Whenever Kouen is focused on something, she _will_ see it through to the end.

'Why? Why would they do this to such a nice boy? Why would they outcast him and hate him for no apparent reason?' Ginko mentally cried. Out of her sisters, she is the kindest and sweetest and is able to see the good in others. When she looked at Naruto, she saw no evil or any dark intentions of any sort in his eyes. He is as pure as the spring rain, yet these humans despise him. For what reason could they hate such an innocent child? 'I'll find out what that reason is somehow. It's the only way I can understand.' she continued. 'And Naruto will need someone by his side. That someone will be me!' she added with a blush. Even at five years old, she knows a few things about love. She is a girl after all. And she does think Naruto is kinda cute. 'Especially with those cute marks on his cheeks!'

'Such a nice boy, yet he had such a harsh life. How could these humans do this to one of their own? What are their reasons behind it?' Tsuki wondered. Even though she is the youngest, she is the smartest, the gentlest and the most innocent among Yuki's daughters. Putting her analytical mind to work, she can't find any possible reason behind Naruto's negative treatment in the village. Her mother has already explained to her that he's an orphan who's apparently hated by most of the village populous. Logic dictates that those who have committed a horrible act end up with this kind of treatment, not those who couldn't have. 'It makes no sense! The boy is only five years old! What could he have done to deserve such hatred?' One way or another, she'll figure it out. But right now, Naruto needs a friend. And if she knows her sisters, they'll comfort him like she will.

xxxxx

Next Time: Naruto tries to make more friends. What is the Youko family hiding from him? And does he have access to his bloodlines or not?

Later!


	3. Arc 1 Chapter 3

**The Kitsune and the Neko**

"Talking"  
'Thoughts'  
**Dire Beast  
**_Flashback_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Arc 1: The Early Years  
Chapter 3: Kitsune meets Neko**

It's been nearly four months since Naruto moved in with the Youko family. For him, life has been much better than it has ever been. As he stayed with Yuki and her daughters, he became more and more trusting of them, though that trust was put to the test a few days after the seals were removed by Jiraiya and his body healed by Tsunade.

It was late at night and nature was calling Naruto. As he made his way back to his room, he passed by Tsuki. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem. However, throw in the fact that she had a dark blue foxtail with white fur at the tip and a pair of matching ears on top of her head, and he panicked. It took her over fifteen minutes to find Naruto after he shot out of the house and dashed into the forest. Afterwards, she woke up her mother and they spent half an hour explaining to Naruto that they aren't going to hurt him. Needless to say, he was very nervous around the family for a couple of weeks after that.

After the vixens re-earned his trust, Yuki explained her reasons for watching over him... well, without revealing several things that he wasn't ready for yet.

_"Naruto, now that you know that my kits and I are not human, let me explain exactly what we are and why we're here." Yuki said to Naruto as they sat in the living room, the boy sitting on her lap. "Like I told you before, your mother and I knew each other and she asked me to look after you if she couldn't for some reason. And before you ask, no I will not tell you who she was until I am sure you are ready to know." Naruto nodded and she sighed. "To be honest, I didn't want to show you this until after you got rid of your fear of foxes. But with what happened last night between you and Tsuki, there's no point in keeping it a secret any longer." And with that, seven sea-blue foxtails with white tips appeared and wrapped around Naruto. He watched in awe as her human ears vanished and a pair of sea-blue fox ears with white tips appeared on top of the woman's head. Yuki smiled at him, her slitted blue eyes staring into his non-slitted cerulean orbs. "Naruto, what I am is a fox demon. However, there are two kinds of demon foxes in the world; a youko and a kitsune. My family and I are kitsunes." She then pulled him closer to her, his head resting under her chin. "Remember this, little kit. We fox demons are bound by our word. No matter what, we don't break our word. To do so would be dishonorable. Yes, even demons have honor, unlike some humans."_

_"So... you're not going to hurt me?" Naruto asked, hoping that this nice lady is being truthful._

_Yuki chucked. "If I was going to hurt you, I would never be able to face your mother when I see her again. Besides, my daughters would never forgive me if I did." she said. "They've grown quite fond of you in the short time they've known you, Naruto. Did you know that?" She giggled when Naruto blushed, even though she barely saw it. "Anyway, the fox you saw the first night you were here was one of my shadow clones. See, we kitsunes can change our appearance at will to look like humans. And like you see right now, we can take the appearance of humans with fox-like appendages as well. This is our half-fox form. And yes, my daughters can take this form also."_

_"Ms. Yuki, why are you being so nice to me?" Naruto asked._

_"I already told you, Naruto. I am a mother and I can't stand seeing someone as young as you being treated like you were a wanted criminal. Whatever the reason these villagers want you dead seem to be different from the fact that your parents were respected by many and feared by others." Yuki said to him. "In any case, I am duty-bound to help you and I want to help you of my own will. Humans and demons have what's called free will. We can choose to do what we want. However, we are, or should be, taught to always do what's right. It is up to you if you want to listen to what you are taught and told."_

_Naruto raised his head and looked Yuki in the eyes. Their gaze remained locked for several moments before he snuggled up to the vixen. "I believe you, Ms. Yuki." he said._

_Yuki smiled and the two just sat there in a comfortable silence for several minutes. "Ms. Yuki, do you know any of what my mother could do?" Naruto asked._

_"As a matter of fact, your mother taught me some of her jutsu, but I won't teach them to you until I believe you are ready for them. No ifs, ands or buts about it." Yuki replied. "Also, she couldn't teach me all of them, but I do have the scrolls that have her techniques and fighting styles on them, just in case she couldn't teach you herself."_

After that, he and the vixens became very close over the months. He learned that Yuki is a kind, caring and loving woman who will not hesitate to help anyone in need. He also learned that she's over two hundred years old, despite not looking a day over twenty-two. She told him that fox demons don't age beyond the human equivalent of twenty-two. He learned that Kouen is not only the eldest sister, but also the most responsible. She takes care of her sisters when her mother isn't around and she has the urge to protect everyone that she cares about. She is also a bit of a tomboy, despite the fact that she wears a skirt, and has a natural curiosity, like he does, which is why she tends to wonder about many things. He learned that Ginko is the kindest and sweetest out of the sisters and can see the good in others. She's also not afraid to show affection, especially to him, and he's even spotted her staring at the moon at night. What he doesn't know is that she has developed a bit of a crush on him, even though she's five years old. He learned that Tsuki is not only the youngest sister, but is also the smartest, the gentlest and the most innocent of the three young vixens. She's the most analytical and logical fox out of Yuki's kits. She's also a good painter and she has a thing for the rain, as she loves to dance in it whenever possible.

Naruto has learned much from the four kitsunes. They all taught Naruto how to tend to a garden and he started growing medicinal herbs in his room, as per Tsunade's suggestion. Yuki began teaching Naruto about chakra and how to control it, along with her daughters. Turns out that the girls have more chakra than most their age, but that's because they are kitsunes and not humans. Naruto, on the other hand, has more chakra than the three kits combined, which shocked them all. Yuki surmised that it was because his parents both had large amounts of chakra and because the Nine-Tailed Fox is sealed within him, though she didn't tell him about the latter. Kouen taught Naruto how to use a sword. After learning that his mother was a swordswoman, he wanted to learn how to use one too. Ginko became Naruto's regular sparring partner, as she is the best hand-to-hand fighter out of the sisters, and she helped Naruto become more agile and flexible. Tsuki taught him how to draw, since he doesn't like to paint all that much, and how to dance. Sometimes, she would drag him outside to dance with her whenever it rains.

After the seals were removed, Tsunade stayed in the village for two weeks before leaving. She mainly spent her time with Naruto, but she was also seen at the hospital or with the Hokage. When she's with Naruto, they basically talked and played. Naruto learned that not only was she trained by the Hokage, but she is one of the Legendary Sannin, possibly the greatest medical expert alive and, a few days before she left, his godmother. That last one threw him for a loop, but Tsunade told him that it was his parents' wish for her to protect and raise him if they couldn't. When he questioned her on why she didn't, she apologized to him and said that some idiot told her that he was dead. This made him very upset, but she said that she'll take care of him during the summer and teach him all about medicine, mentioning that his mother was a great medic. Yuki told her that using Kushina was a great motivational tool for him, though it may not always work and may stop working in the future. Naruto was happy that he'll get to spend some time with her during the summer and he couldn't wait for summer to get here. However, Tsunade sternly told him that he was to never reveal that he is her godson or things could get very ugly. Naruto readily agreed, figuring that she, too, must have people that hate her, despite her being a very kind and loving woman.

xxxxx

Right now, it's the middle of March and Naruto is currently at the park with the sisters. From his position on one of the three swings, he can see Ginko playing in the sandbox, where he was at half an hour ago helping her build a sand castle. He can see Kouen playing on the monkey bars, trying to see what all she can do with how agile and limber her body is. He looked next to him and saw Tsuki on the swing beside him.

"Betcha I can swing higher than you." she said in a very playful voice as she started swinging as high as she can go.

"You're on!" he replied, easily matching her height and trying to go higher.

From the sandbox, Ginko cheered them on as Kouen laughed while hanging upside-down on the monkey bars. "You two are so silly!" she pointed out. 'But then again, so are we.' she added, referring to herself, Ginko and their mother.

From her position in the trees, a clone Yuki sent to watch them was busy laughing. With Naruto around the house, the girls have become a bit more lively and may sometimes challenge Naruto to do something silly with them. Sometimes, she finds the contests funny, like she is now, because she and her daughters can be very silly sometimes.

However, after ten minutes, their fun came to an end with they heard a commotion nearby. The two on the swings slowed down as they all looked on and saw three boys, larger then they are, pushing a petite young girl in a lavender kimono back and forth between them. The boy and three girls can see tears in the girl's eyes as she called out for help. Without hesitation, Naruto and Kouen darted forward and tackled one of the boys down while Tsuki and Ginko pulled the girl away from the other two. While Kouen had the first boy pinned under her, Naruto shoulder-tackles the second boy, knocking the wind out of him.

Angry that someone was trying to take away his fun, the third boy lunged at the three girls, only to trip when Naruto swept one on his legs while he was behind him. He then grabbed the back of the bigger kid's shirt and pulled him down to the ground, with him landing on top of him. With eyes full of anger, Naruto raised his fist, ready to punch the boy in his face. He quickly thrusts it forward, causing the boy to flinch and cover his eyes in fear. When he finally opened them, Naruto and the four girls were long one.

On the other side of the park, hidden behind a tree, the three vixens and Naruto were busy trying to comfort the crying girl. She was obviously a little shaken up and, to their relief, uninjured.

"There, there. It's alright now. The bullies are gone." spoke Naruto with much kindness.

The girl slowly stopped shaking and crying, but she was still looking down toward the ground. She wanted to thank her saviors, but she was too shy to do so.

"Are you hurt?" Kouen asked, looking at the girl. She knew that she wasn't hurt, but it didn't hurt to ask.

Meanwhile, Tsuki was looking at the girl curiously, though she didn't let her curiosity show. 'Strange...' she thought to herself as her nose picked up something from the girl... something that she knew her sisters could not. 'Why does she smell like a cat?'

The girl shook her head slowly then started to raise it up. When her eyes met Naruto's, she blushed slightly. "T-thank you."

"No problem. We don't like it when people bully others." said Naruto with a smile, knowing that she's alright.

She smiled at him then asked, "I'm Hi-Hinata H-Hyuuga. W-What are y-your n-names?"

"Naruto Uzumaki. Nice to meet you, Hinata."

"Kouen Youko."

"Ginko Youko. That's a pretty kimono, Hinata."

"Tsuki Youko. What a nice name you have."

Hinata blushed at Ginko and Tsuki's comments.

Once the bullies were gone, the five decided to play at the park. They played on the swings, the slide and in the sandbox and they were having a lot of fun. Hinata is around the same height and same age as Naruto and the three young vixens. Besides her kimono, which is tied with an obi darker in color, she also has blue sandals on. Her eyes looked to be clear, but Naruto saw that they were actually a pale shade of lavender. Her midnight blue hair was short, save for the two tails at the sides, in front of her ears. The sisters noticed that Hinata seem to blush slightly every time she looked at Naruto, especially at his eyes. They giggled to themselves as Naruto remained unaware of this. Kouen and Tsuki then turned to Ginko to gauge her reaction. To their curiosity, she seems interested.

As they were playing, they've asked questions about each other. Naruto and the girls noticed that Hinata was still a bit shy around them. They reassured her that she shouldn't be so shy. Naruto then thought that she still might be a little shaken up from before, so he tried to make her smile. While they talked, he dropped in some jokes to take her mind off of the earlier ordeal, with the sisters quickly catching on and joining him. It worked, and she was giggling with a big smile on her face. They smiled as well, glad that they could get her to smile. Her shyness also seemed to have slipped away. Hinata thought that they were really nice... that they didn't like seeing her sad... that they liked seeing her smile. She also learned that Naruto is an orphan and that their only friends are each other, so she offered to be their friend and they happily agreed.

The five continued to play for couple of hours after the incident before someone came for Hinata. That someone was her father, Hiashi Hyuuga. She knew that it was time to go home, but she didn't want to leave her new friends yet. Naruto noticed the man walking towards them, as did the sisters. He recognized the eyes and thought that he was related to his new friend. If that was true, then he probably came here to take her home. He didn't want her to leave, but he knew that she had to.

"Hinata, it's time to go home." said Hiashi, breaking their train of thought.

"Y-yes, F-Father." she replied, a little sad that she has to leave.

"Will you come back and play with us again?" Naruto asked, not letting the two Hyuugas see his sadness.

"Of course I will, Naruto." Hinata said smiling at the boy, her cheeks slightly red.

'Well, would you look at that. She befriended him. I'd figured it might have happened sooner or later. I hope things go well for them.' Hiashi thought while a small smile appeared on his face. This went unnoticed by the five kids. 'And it seems that she befriended Yuki's kids as well. I better tell Hikari about this.'

"Okay. Bye, Hinata." said Naruto and the three vixens, waving to their new friend.

Hinata waved back at them then joined her father as they went home. On the way back, Hiashi asked her what happened at the park. She told him that she was being picked on by bullies, but then Naruto, Kouen, Ginko and Tsuki came and saved her. Then they played in the park afterwards and got to know one another. Hiashi noticed that she was stuttering less as she was talking and her shyness was nearly gone. But when she was talking about Naruto, she was slightly blushing. Hiashi easily caught this and told her that she can play with Naruto whenever she wants, as long as she promised to train hard so that doesn't happen again and as long as Naruto agreed to protect her when she needed it. She agreed to it happily, knowing that she'll get to play with Naruto and the sisters again.

Later, Hiashi sent Sarutobi a letter with instructions to give it to the boy when he visits or when he runs another errand, which was at least twice a day. Three months ago, Naruto started running errands for Hiruzen so he can get to know some of the shinobi and kunoichi around the village. Sometimes, the girls would go with him to help familiarize themselves with the village. Each time he completes an errand, he is paid accordingly for it. When the girls help him, they're paid as well.

When Naruto received the letter, he jotted down a reply, agreeing to Hiashi's terms. He gave it to Sarutobi, knowing that he would give it to him.

xxxxx

For the next three months, things have gone quite smoothly for Naruto. After he met Hinata, he and the girls were introduced to some of the other kids their age. The first was a blonde-haired girl named Ino Yamanaka. She is a girl who has a thing for all kinds of flowers and she quickly took a liking to Tsuki. Naruto sometimes stop by her family's flower shop to see her while running errands from the Hokage to her father, Inoichi. Tsuki also took to working part-time alongside Ino and her mother, Ikana.

The second was a quiet boy named Shino Aburame. He is a boy who has a thing for bugs of all kinds, especially beetles. When Kouen asked why, he refused to say. Kouen and the others accepted that, but she started to get curious about the boy, mainly because most of his body is covered by his coat. She hung out with him and started to learn more about insects. Shino was, at first, surprised that she wasn't scared of them. All she said in return was that bugs don't scare her, and they never will either. Shino simply nodded.

The third and fourth were two boys; a lazy boy named Shikamaru Nara and a chubby boy named Chouji Akimichi. Shikamaru mostly spent his time watching the clouds go by while Chouji is almost constantly seen eating some kind of snack, mainly potato chips. When he's with Shikamaru, he shares them with him while they converse in small talk. Both were introduced to each other when they were little, along with Ino, and they quickly became friends. Though Ino does complain about how lazy Shikamaru is and how Chouji doesn't stop eating.

Out of all of his friends, Naruto is seen with Hinata the most... so much so that they are nearly inseparable. He even got to meet her parents, Hiashi and Hikari, and her baby sister, Hanabi. The first thing Hikari did when she saw him was scoop him up into a hug while Ginko was giggling off to the side. That is, until she, too, was hugged by the happy woman. Hikari privately told Naruto that she knew both his parents well, after being informed from Hiashi that he knows a little about them, but not enough that would put him in danger. When he was with Hikari, she'd tell him stories of when she was little and all the adventures she and his father went on, never once mentioning his name. When he asked why, she said that he wasn't ready to know and that when he is, she'll tell him everything she knows about him and then some.

Sometimes, Hinata would eavesdrop on Hikari's stories to Naruto, hoping to learn something about her new friend. She was shocked to learn that her mother knew his parents and that she was very close to his father. After she and Ginko were discovered, they both ended up joining them during their 'story time'.

xxxxx

It is now the beginning of June and Naruto was waiting at the village gate for Tsunade to come get him. Currently with him is Ginko, who wanted to go with him, a clone of Yuki and Sarutobi, who wanted to see them off and see his old student again. Naruto told his friends that he has to leave during the summer with a friend of his late mother. The adults all know who it was and simply asked him to write to their kids while he's gone.

As they waited, they heard someone yell, "WAIT!" Looking behind them, they all saw Hikari and Hinata running up to them. Hinata was dressed in a midnight blue ninja shirt and pants, a mesh undershirt and blue ninja sandals.

When they reached them, they took a moment to catch their breath. Hikari then looked at Sarutobi and Yuki and asked, "Is it okay if Hinata goes with them? She doesn't want to be separated from her friends for too long."

Naruto and Ginko stared at Hinata with wide eyes, causing the shy girl to blush and look away. Naruto, Ino and the sisters tried their hardest to get rid of her shyness, but they weren't making much progress.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Hikari?" a feminine voice said followed by an oink. Everyone turned and saw Tsunade and Shizune, holding Tonton, walk up to them.

"I don't see why it isn't, Shizune." Hikari replied to the young woman, then turned to Tsunade. "After all, you trained me. Why not do the same for my daughter?"

Tsunade smiled at her former student. "You're right, Hikari. Maybe I should... if she doesn't mind, that is."

Hinata looked at Tsunade, who looked right at her. Her mother told her all about her old senseis and what all she learned form them. She couldn't believe that one of them would be willing to teach her. What's even more amazing was that she somehow knew Naruto's mother. "I-If it's a-alright with y-you, L-Lady T-Tsunade, I-I would l-l-love to l-learn under y-you." she stammered.

"Such a polite girl you have, Hikari. Though she could lose the shyness." Tsunade commented. "I'll have to work with her on that."

Hikari nodded and kneeled in front Hinata, handing her a knapsack with her things in it. "Now be a good girl while you're gone and remember to write to me often. I'm sure your father and friends want to hear all about your adventures with Tsunade-sensei." she said as she hugged her little girl. "I love you, my little sunshine." she whispered.

"I love you too, Mother." Hinata replied before pulling away and slinging the knapsack over her shoulder.

While that was going on, Naruto and Ginko gave the Yuki clone a hug. "Be safe, you two, and remember to write back every two weeks, okay?" the clone told them.

"We will." they both said. After parting, they slung their own knapsacks over their shoulders.

Yuki walked over to Tsunade and whispered, "Keep them safe for me. And if you do tell him about Kushina, tell me in person."

Tsunade nodded. "Okay kiddies, time to go!" she called to them. After saying their goodbyes, they left.

xxxxx

A/N: Okay, I've decided to stop here because I'm not sure what to write after this. Instead, I'll explain their trip with Tsunade in a few paragraphs.

Now I know some might ask: why did I send Ginko and Hinata on this trip? Well, Ginko is rather attached to Naruto and doesn't want to leave him alone. She even said so last chapter. So I've decided to let her go. Hinata, on the other hand, is a different story. At first, it was a spur of the moment idea, but it came with two good reasons. Hinata seems more comfortable around Naruto and wants to stay at his side. Even before the rewrite, during this time in the story, those two were nearly inseparable. Also, since Hikari was trained by the medical expert, she would want to have her daughter learn from her old teacher as well. Now they're not going to learn any jutsu, mind you. I mean, they're five!

I know that I've included quite a few time skips in this chapter, but that was the point. This chapter is mainly to introduce Hinata to the story the same way I did last time. I used the original scene as a guide to make the new scene.

Changes from before: When Hinata was being bullied, Naruto was the only one there the last time. Since I introduced the foxy triplets, I've decided to add them to the small fight scene. Also, only two of them were attacked before while the third ran away scared, with the other two following suit. Instead, I changed it and had the third be defeated before being scared out of his wits, thus the reason why Naruto and the four girls were able to escape without them noticing.

I also added Ino to their list of friends sooner than before. Before, she was six when she met Naruto and Hinata. Now, she met them a year earlier and became close friends with Tsuki. I even added Shikamaru, Chouji and Shino as well. Before, Naruto didn't meet them until he entered the academy. I thought it would be good to have them know each other before they start their ninja training. Also, I have my reason for why Kouen is interested in Shino. I'll let you readers figure that one out before I reveal it. Trust me, it's a good one.

Response Corner: This is where I respond to the questions, comments and whatnot I get in the reviews.

Gravity The Wizard: From your reviews, I assume you're hoping that this is a Naruto/Hinata. I'm sorry, but I can't tell you at the moment. Once they are older, you'll find out. I will tell you that Naruto will be in the main pairing, but who's in it will not be told at the moment.

alexrc55: Keep in mind that Naruto is five years old. I can't have him fall in love at such a young age, especially since he doesn't know what love is. Give it some time. I promise, you won't be disappointed.

kitsunegamer375: The only reason Hinata was not a filter character until now is because she wasn't in the first two chapters. The story centers around these two, but I didn't see the point of marking her as the other filter character if she hasn't made her appearance yet.

Next Time: What did Tsunade teach them while they were away? How will everyone react to Hinata disappearing for the summer?

Later!


	4. Arc 1 Chapter 4

**The Kitsune and the Neko**

"Talking"  
'Thoughts'  
**Demon/Deity/Dire Beast  
**_Flashback/Mind Link_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Arc 1: The Early Years  
Chapter 4: Kitsune's Happiness**

It's been three months since Hinata, Naruto and Ginko left the village with Tsunade and Shizune. For three people, it has been anything but quiet and peaceful.

Hiruzen Sarutobi kept hearing complaints from the council to have Naruto and Hinata return for Hinata's safety and Naruto's execution. The old Fire Shadow stated numerous times that they are with Tsunade and not only were they allowed to go, but the woman wanted them to come. He then added that if he hears anymore of their demands to have them brought back, he'll inform Tsunade and she'll have yet another reason to hate the village. That shut most of them up, but some of them still complained.

Hiashi and Hikari Hyuuga were no better off. The head and headmistress of the Hyuuga clan heard nothing but demands from the clan's elders to have their eldest daughter returned and kept away from Naruto. They have, in more ways than one, said no, as they are with Hikari's former teacher and would be safe from any threats they may encounter. Hikari even added a month after they left that her old jounin instructor, Jiraiya, visits them from time to time. Hiashi's final statement was that the heiress of the clan was getting training from two of the Legendary Sannin, just like her mother before her. Why should they demand that she return instead of receiving such training? The elders more or less quieted down after that.

Every two weeks, Hiashi and Hikari would receive a letter from Hinata, via messenger slug, telling them that she is alright and is learning much from Tsunade, Shizune and Jiraiya. She tells them about where she currently is and how much fun it is being with Ginko and Naruto, the latter causing Hikari to giggle. When she was asked once, she said that their little girl might have a crush on the whiskered blond. Hiashi chuckled at that and muttered something along the lines of like father like son.

Deep in the forest, Yuki Youko would also receive letters from Naruto and Ginko, via messenger slug. They pretty much say the same things like Hinata tells her parents. Yuki also noticed how Naruto talked about the Hyuuga heiress and the silver vixen. She had to giggle at that, realizing that Naruto has a crush on both girls. She is going to have so much fun playing matchmaker with Hikari when the kids get back.

xxxxx

Speaking of the kids, they're currently busy walking next to each other, holding hands. Naruto, Hinata and Ginko have managed to grow a lot closer over the summer. This is something that Tsunade has observed for herself. She didn't take the kids anywhere dangerous and, unlike her usual self, she didn't gamble or drink around them either, much to Shizune's surprise and relief. The only places they've went was anywhere within the Land of Fire. She wouldn't risk taking Naruto outside the country until he is older and much stronger, though she would assume that Jiraiya would.

Speaking of her long time friend, he would drop by every now and then to check up on them and teach a few lessons in survival. Neither sannin would teach the kids any jutsu until they believed that they can protect themselves without them. They told them that if you can't defend yourself without them, then there is no point in learning them. Shizune helped them learn whatever they were focusing on at the time and trained them in weapon accuracy using senbon. Tsunade began teaching them about basic first aid, herbology and chakra control, since they can access their chakra.

Hinata, as she expected, has excellent control while her reserves seem to be around what most first-year academy student would have. Ginko has less control than Hinata, but not by much, but she has as much chakra as a seasoned gennin. This didn't surprise her because she was told by Yuki that she and her daughters are kitsunes. The big surprise was Naruto. He has very little control, but massive reserves for his age, as much as an average chūnin. She had him do more chakra control exercises than the girls to bring his control up to theirs, which would be quite a challenge for him because he has so much. However, Naruto was determined and managed to get close, but nowhere near their level yet.

As they approached the village gates, seven familiar faces were seen. The three five-year-olds dashed towards them with happy smiles.

Yuki laughed as she was hugged by Naruto and Ginko, just like Hikari when Hinata jumped into her arms. The woman was fortunate that Hiashi was holding Hanabi at the time.

"Looks like the kids really missed you two." Shizune giggled as Tonton squealed happily in her arms.

"They sure do." Kouen added, a little jealous that she wasn't getting a hug. That quickly changed when Naruto hugged her and Tsuki, saying how much he missed them. Both girls blushed while Ginko giggled.

"Okay kiddies, say your goodbyes. I'm sure Lady Tsunade has somewhere she needs to be." Yuki said before creating a few shadow clones to escort the kids home. Hinata, Naruto and Ginko gave Tsunade, Shizune and Tonton a hug before going home with Tsuki, Kouen, Hikari, Hanabi and two Hyuuga guards while the two women and pig went with Sarutobi, Hiashi and Yuki to the Hokage Tower.

xxxxx

After taking their seats and securing the room, Tsunade and Shizune gave their report.

"So how did they do?" Hiruzen asked.

"As expected, they each did well. We had some minor problems here and there, but nothing we can't handle. Right, Shizune?" The raven-haired woman nodded before Tsunade carried on. "They each had a fault that we had to deal with. Hinata's shyness was something we had to take care of immediately. It seems to generate from home from all the pressure she's under because she's the clan's heiress." Hiashi nodded, figuring as much. The elders have always pressured her to do far better than she has been. "She also seems to become shy around Naruto. She also blushes a lot around him, but we got that to stop about a month ago. I think she has a crush on him." Tsunade then turned to Hiashi. "What is your opinion on the subject, Hiashi?"

Hiashi sighed. "If I know my wife, she'll try to play matchmaker with those two. She did the same thing with Minato not once, but twice."

"More like, those three." Shizune remarked, getting a raised eyebrow from Hiashi. "Ginko also has a crush on Naruto. I can see it in her eyes, she likes him. And it seems like their feelings are mutual." She smiled. "Naruto has gotten quite protective of them as of late. That and Ginko has taken to sleeping with him, saying that she's keeping the bad dreams away."

"That's so cute!" Yuki squealed. "I'm gonna have so much fun with this."

"We thought you might." Tsunade smirked. "Anyway, Ginko's problem seems to be her chakra, or should I say youki. Hinata's Byakugan is able to see it, but she doesn't know what it is. Ginko managed to avoid revealing that she's a kitsune by saying that she didn't know her chakra was red and not blue. She saw the same thing with Naruto, except he has a mix of chakra and youki, so it's blue with red swirling around it."

"Is that Naruto's problem?" asked Sarutobi.

"It's part of it." Shizune replied. "He has more chakra than any of your gennin and he can't control it at all. We've been working on that, but there might be some things he just can't learn because of this factor. We'll find out what when he starts learning jutsu, but that won't be for a while, I'm sure."

"You're right. I want to wait until he enters the academy before I teach him even the five basic jutsu." said Yuki. "The same goes for his clan fighting styles."

"Speaking of clans, did you tell him about Minato and Kushina yet?" Hiashi asked Tsunade.

"No I didn't. He knows that I'm his godmother, but that's it. He's not ready to know about them just yet." she replied.

"What about his bloodlines?" wondered Hiruzen.

"He has both of them, sensei. However, one of them is still developing." replied Tsunade. "His physical-based bloodline starts to develop after birth and takes five to ten years to fully mature. However, because of the Blood Locking Seals, the bloodline's development has been stunted by about two years. Right now, my guess is that it'll awaken anywhere between Naruto's seventh and twelfth birthdays." Her face then becomes serious. "I'll have to warn you, though. When it awakens, it'll be very painful for him, as they must grow in before he can use them. This takes about half an hour or so, so if he suddenly has severe back pain, you'll know why."

Yuki nodded. "Does he know about it and when will it occur?"

"He doesn't and I'm not sure. It could be anywhere between two and seven years from now, give or take a month or so." answered Tsunade. "But if you're looking for something like a time of day, I'm not sure about that either. Kushina once told me that she woke up one morning when she was seven in great pain. That's when hers grew in. So neither she nor I could tell you when it'll be fully developed."

"Hmm..." Hiashi was curious and asked, "Yuki, which direction is your house?"

"To the south-east, why?" Yuki replied, wondering why he would ask her that.

"I have a hunch I want to confirm." Hiashi channeled chakra into his eyes as they look more cold than usual and veins appeared at the sides of his eyes. "Byakugan!" He used his enhanced vision and searched for Yuki's house. Once he found it, he zoomed in on Naruto. After a little searching, he found what he was looking for. "I see it."

"What do you see?" asked Sarutobi.

"The boy's chakra is being channeled and stored into his shoulder blades." Hiashi replied. "There seems to be quite a lot there and is being compressed, most likely preparing the area for where the new limbs will grow in and be housed."

"How much chakra do you see gathered there?" Tsunade asked him.

"Individually, about as much as an average jounin would have, and it's steadily growing." the Hyuuga head replied as he deactivated his kekkei genkai. "If I knew how much it took for the bloodline to awaken, I could give you an estimate at how long it'll be."

"Well, how long until he has my level of chakra between both of them?" Tsunade asked.

"About three to four years, give or take." replied Hiashi. "I also saw youki swirling around, so the Nine-Tailed Fox must be aiding the bloodline in developing faster."

"Sounds like something he would do." Yuki muttered to herself. "I'll keep an eye on Naruto and make sure his bloodlines aren't sealed again."

"That's what I like to hear." Tsunade replied with a smile.

"By the way, who exactly told you that Naruto was dead?" Hiashi asked. It was something that has been bothering both him and Hikari for months, but they forgot to ask her before she left both times.

Tsunade scowled and replied, "It was sensei's old teammate, Koharu."

Sarutobi's eyes suddenly narrowed. 'Just like before with Homura. Why do those two delight in causing her pain?' "I see... Sadly, they may simply deny it and the council would support them, believing that it was for the best or that he should have died that night. Either way, it would only piss you off further, drive you to taking Naruto away and killing anyone who tries to stop you." He then sighed. "Then again, the council raised a lot of hell over you taking Naruto and Hinata out of the village."

"The Hyuuga elders were just as bad about Hinata leaving and being around Naruto." Hiashi added while massaging his temples. "They demanded that she be returned immediately and kept as far away from him as possible, but neither I nor Hikari would allow it. They may have tried to bring her back by force, I'm afraid. I wouldn't put it past them. Did you run into any trouble, Lady Tsunade?"

"Nothing that I couldn't handle, but I did find it suspicious." Tsunade replied, then explained. "It was about two months ago when six rogue chūnin came and tried to kidnap Hinata and kill Naruto and Ginko. Shizune guarded them while I took care of the rogues and got the bounties on their heads, which I gave a portion of it to each of the kids. Luckily, one of them squealed and said that they were hired to kidnap Hinata and kill Naruto, or the demon brat as they called him. Fortunately, none of the kids were in earshot when he said that." Yuki and Sarutobi sighed in relief. "Unfortunately, he killed himself before I could get him to tell me who hired him."

"Only five years old and he already has assassins trying to kill him." Yuki growled. "If I find out who put a hit on my charge, they'll meet a very **cold** fate!" Yuki started glowing and the temperature of the room literally dropped thirty degrees.

"Yuki, calm down. Getting upset won't help." Tsunade said to her. Yuki's aura vanished and the room started to warm back up. "But I do agree with you. Whoever did this will not live long enough to regret it once we find out."

"I'll see what I can turn up. If I find anything, you two will be the first to know." said Sarutobi.

"I'll talk to the elders and see how they react. Most likely, they'll deny it and try to play it off as paranoia." Hiashi added.

"Very well. Is there anything else you'd like to report?" Hiruzen asked.

"No, I don't think so." Tsunade replied.

The Hokage nodded. "Then you're all dismissed."

xxxxx

The morning sun shined through the curtains, disturbing the peaceful sleep of one Ginko Youko. She groaned, not wanting to get up just yet. But it seems like the sun isn't going to let her sleep in. She eventually sighed in defeat, but didn't leave her current location, nestled comfortably in Naruto's arms.

It's been a week since they've returned home. Their friends wanted to hear all about their trip, but they were rather vague in their explanation so they don't find out that they traveled with one of the sannin. Ginko told her sisters everything that happened and described everywhere they went. Not only do they want to go next summer, but they were giggling at the way Ginko talked about Naruto and how she blushed when she mentioned them sleeping together. Even Yuki was giggling at how her daughter's acting around the boy and even stated once that it might be a sign of things to come. Ginko blushed brightly at that.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she felt Naruto pull her closer to him. There's only one reason why he would do this. 'He's waking up.' she thought to herself.

She looked at his face, blushing from their proximity, as his azure eyes opened and gazed into her own, a blush tinting his whiskered cheeks. "Good morning, Ginko." he said a bit sleepily.

Ginko smiled warmly at him, then moaned when he started to scratch behind her left ear. "Good morning to you too, Naruto." she purred in delight, snuggling up to him as her white-tipped silver foxtail wagged happily behind her. She absolutely loved it when he scratched or rubbed her ears. He is always very gentle with them and it felt so good to her when he did. Her sisters think the same thing when he rubbed their ears once a few days ago. Yuki, who saw the whole thing, merely shook her head and muttered that her kits are going to fall for him hard in a few years. They all blushed at that.

After a few minutes, he stopped and they got out of bed. They needed to get ready for their daily training. Before Ginko left the room, she gave Naruto a hug, which he happily returned.

xxxxx

It's after lunch time and we find the Youko family plus one at the Kazama Armory.

"Ah, Yuki. What can I do for you this afternoon?" Arashi asked as the family entered his shop.

"We're here for some more supplies and a new practice sword for Kouen." Yuki replied as the kids started browsing.

"What happened to her old one?" the Kazama asked as the fox-woman stepped up to the counter.

"It broke while she was sparring with Naruto." she explained, then chuckled. "The poor boy was so upset. He thought it was his fault that her practice sword broke."

As the adults chatted, the kids were busy browsing while gathering what all they needed. A minute later, they placed it all on the counter just as another person entered the room.

Yuki studied the merchandise carefully before nodding to herself. "Yep, that's everything." she said mostly to herself.

"Looks like there's another sword user in the village." stated the new person. Naruto and the triplets turned and saw a girl around their age with brown hair tied in two buns on top of her head and chocolate brown eyes like Arashi's wearing a pink chinese-style shirt, green pants and blue sandals.

Yuki and Arashi looked at the girl as well. "Tenten, where are your manners?" Arashi asked her.

The girl, now known as Tenten, blushed lightly. "Oh, sorry about that. I sometimes get distracted by weapons or those who are either good at or want to train with them." she explained, then cleared her throat. "Hi, I'm Tenten. What are your names?"

"I'm Naruto. It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Ginko. Why do you wear your hair like that?"

"Ginko! Well, I'm Kouen. Care to spar sometime?"

"I'm Tsuki. Want to be friends?"

Tenten giggled. "Well, in order: It's nice to meet you too, Naruto... I don't want my hair getting in the way... absolutely... and sure!"

Arashi chuckled. "Well, it seems as though our children are getting along just fine, Yuki."

"Yes, it sure does. It's good that Naruto and the girls are making more friends." Yuki added.

xxxxx

Since that day, Naruto and the fox-girls met up with Tenten to spar with her in weapons in the afternoon, since the girl goes to the Ninja Academy. Soon, Hinata and Ino began to join them and, after a few weeks, the group of friends started training together under Yuki. When it's time for book studies, their friends head on home. Fortunately for them, they don't train on the weekends, so they can play with their friends until dinner time.

Their other friends were a little reluctant to join them. Chouji was the easiest because Ino, Ginko and Tsuki used their charms to convince him to join. Shikamaru was the hardest, as he felt it was a major drag to train so hard. Chouji, Kouen and Tsuki had to persuade into joining them. He quickly found out that Yuki hated it when people slacked off while she's trying to teach and would sometimes have him do more than the others to teach him that slacking off is a bad idea. He once said that she's worse than his own mother. Shino, on the other hand, didn't want to because he felt that the others wouldn't want him to train with them, even after Naruto and Kouen asked him if he wanted to.

_Near the park, Shino, Naruto and Kouen are sitting under a tree talking amongst themselves. The Aburame was just asked if he wanted to join his friends in their training._

_"Are you sure you want me to?" he asked after thinking it over for a few minutes._

_"Of course we do, Shino! We wouldn't have asked if we didn't want you to." replied Naruto._

_"Come on Shino, please?" Kouen asked, her eyes suddenly taking a glossy look as she gazed into Shino's sunglasses._

_The brown-haired boy was silent for several moments until he sighed and asked, "Tell me, what do you two think of insects?"_

_Kouen and Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to know?" they both asked, only to lightly blush afterward._

_Shino ignored their blush and replied, "Call it curiosity."_

_Naruto blinked, a bit confused at Shino's answer. "Well, I have no problem with them, if that's what you're wondering."_

_"Neither do I, but you already knew that, Shino." Kouen added. "What is it that you're worried about?"_

_Shino sighed before raising his hand. His two friends then saw a beetle crawl out of his coat and onto his finger. Kouen and Naruto raised their other eyebrow at that, wondering what's going on. "I... have insects living inside me." Shino explained, his voice barely above a whisper._

_Naruto and Kouen stared at Shino in disbelief. Never did either of them hear Shino show any type of emotion in his voice. Also, they never saw him nervous before. They weren't really concerned about the beetle on his finger, more like he has them living inside of him. "Why?" Kouen asked the obvious question._

_Shino gazed at Kouen, whose eyes showed only curiosity. Naruto's showed the same. 'Neither of them are disgusted?' he asked himself. "We use them to fight for us." was Shino's response._

_Kouen leaned forward to get a better look of the beetle on her friend's finger. After a moment, she smiled and asked, "Can I hold it?"_

_Shino nodded and the beetle flew onto Kouen's finger. After a minute, the beetle flew back onto Shino's finger and went back into his coat._

_Suddenly, Kouen's smile dropped as she looked around for anyone who could be watching. Satisfied that she saw nor smelt no one, she gazed at Shino, who was a bit curious about his friend's sudden change in mood. He got his answer when he saw Kouen's ears disappear and a pair of red fox ears with black tips appear on top of her head and the pupils in her eyes change from their normal round shape to a more feral slit. He looked down and saw a red bushy foxtail with a white tip appear behind her and started swaying lazily._

_"I don't find it weird, Shino, because I'm not what one would call 'normal' either." Kouen answered Shino's unasked question. "I hope you can keep this a secret. I don't want other people to know about this and hate me because I'm different."_

_Shino looked at the fox-girl, whose eyes radiated kindness, hope and a hint of fear. He could tell that she's worried that he might tell others about her and then people would think differently of her. 'Most likely negatively.' he mentally added. "You secret is safe with me, Kouen. However, I do not think your training is right for me."_

_Kouen's smile returned. "I understand, Shino, and thank you." she replied softly._

Since that day, Shino seemed to open up more around Kouen. This naturally made the others curious, but Naruto simply told them to leave them be. He knows what's going on to an extent, but he's not going to butt in.

xxxxx

One night, several weeks later, Yuki sat in her room, contemplating what she'll do tomorrow. She put the kids to bed an hour ago, so she has enough time to think undisturbed.

'It's been a year since I took him in. It's amazing how time flies sometimes.' she thought to herself. She can still remember when she found Naruto injured in the middle of the street because a mob of villagers were trying to kill him. She can still see the innocence, the purity and the loneliness in his eyes. Just thinking about the latter and the reason his life is like that put a frown on her face. "Oh Lord Kyuubi, what should I do? I need your advice." she whispered as a tear trailed down her cheek.

_**"What about mine, Yuki?"**__ a soft, angelic voice spoke in her head._

_Yuki gasped. It's been years since she heard that voice. "Lady __Suzaku__?"_

_**"Yes, Yuki. It is I."**__ the voice replied. __**"Tell me, how have things been since we last spoke? Have you found the boy?"**_

_"Yes I have, milady. I have been taking care of him for exactly one year as of tomorrow." Yuki replied. "I'm sorry it took me so long to find him. These humans seem to want him dead very badly."_

_**"Not all of them, I hope."**_

_"No, not all of them. He has made several friends in the forms of the children of the ones his parents befriended."_

_**"That's good. I'm glad."**__Suzaku__ paused for a moment before continuing. __**"Does he know?"**_

_"No he doesn't. He knows that my kits and I are not human and a little bit about his parents, but that's it. I do not believe he is ready to handle the entire truth just yet."_

_**"What about his bloodlines? Have they awakened yet?"**_

_"Unfortunately, someone has sealed his bloodlines away, preventing them from ever awakening." Yuki suddenly felt a great deal of anger coming from __Suzaku__. "However, the seals were removed by Master Jiraiya and his body healed by Lady Tsunade."_

_Suzaku__ gasped. __**"How is the boy?"**__ she asked, her voice laced with worry._

_"He's fine, milady. He's currently sleeping and his training is coming along smoothly."_

_**"What all does he know about his family?"**_

_"If you mean his parents' styles and techniques, then nothing as of yet. He's not ready to learn about them and I don't have any of his father's scrolls."_

_**"That's because they're in safe hands. They will not reveal themselves until the child is truly ready for them."**_

_All of a sudden, Yuki became very serous. "Lady __Suzaku__, I can't keep lying to him. He may figure it out eventually, but only if he's pointed in the right direction." She paused for a brief moment. __Suzaku__ remained silent and attentive as she listened to the vixen, whose voice carried concern and worry. "Please, the boy needs a family. You ordered me not to adopt him because of the chance he may fall in love with one of my kits. Already has one of them showed signs of interest in him."_

_**"But the boy's only five years old!"**_

_"Milady, not even you fully understand how the heart works. Love can appear at any age, and five is a rather early, but not impossible, age for it to take root and sprout."_

_Suzaku__ sighed. __**"You're right. It is not unheard of for such feelings to appear in a being so young. I doubt they fully understand them, do they?"**_

_"No, they do not." Yuki replied. "That kind of knowledge will come in time, but now is not it. A few years maybe, but not now."_

_**"So what you're saying is that he needs his mother, as not even I can reach his father?"**_

_"Yes. Is there a way he can see her, if only for just one night?"_

_Suzaku__ remained silent for several moments before she responded. __**"I'll see what I can do, but I can't make any promises."**__ She then got very serious. __**"Yuki, I want you to protect him and keep him safe. I sense a dark presence approaching. The other two maidens will soon fall and it will devastate the boy and everyone close to them. I will do all I can to prevent their demise, but even I can't perform miracles. It is time for him to begin his real training. He must grow strong fast. He is our only hope to stop the one who caused your lord and master to attack. Please Yuki, you must prepare him for the destiny that awaits him."**_

_"I will do as you wish, Lady __Suzaku__."_

xxxxx

The next morning, the sun's gentle rays filtered into Naruto's room, waking the sleeping boy up from his peaceful slumber. He tried to fight it, as he was too comfortable and did not want to get up, but the sun was persistent. He eventually gave up and opened his eyes, seeing the long silver hair of Ginko as she slept right next to him. A small smile appeared on his face as he pulled her closer and closed his eyes, trying to go back to sleep. Sadly, he couldn't and decided to just lay there.

He idly noted that the fox-girl was really cute like this and, despite his age, he liked gazing at her sleeping form. Her hair seemed to shine in the morning sun and accentuated her cream-colored skin perfectly. He ran his fingers through her hair, inducing a moan from the sleeping vixen.

Her ears twitched as she woke up with a smile on her face. "Mmm... good morning, Naruto." she purred as he continued to run his fingers through her hair. "Please, don't stop... that feels so good!" Naruto blushed, but nodded. She eventually shifted into her true form and snuggled up to him as he stroked her fur.

Sadly, Ginko's enjoyment ended when the door suddenly opened. "Okay you lovebirds, it's time to get up." came the voice of Kouen as she took a few pictures of them in their embarrassed state.

**"Kouen!"** Ginko yelled, her cheeks flushed, before hopping out of Naruto's arms and started chasing her older sister.

After the embarrassment wore off, Naruto took this time to quickly get ready so he can help Ginko swipe Kouen's camera before she can develop the film.

Meanwhile, Yuki and Tsuki were busy laughing as they saw the whole thing and, unlike Kouen, made themselves scarce before Ginko or Naruto could spot them. Also, unlike Kouen, Tsuki had a camcorder and she recorded the whole thing. 'I'm gonna have a field day with this!' she thought to herself.

xxxxx

During breakfast, after everyone had calmed down, Yuki had an important announcement to make.

"Okay kits, listen up." she began. "You've all been doing so well in your training that I've decided to give you the day off." The four kids were a bit surprised by this, but happy nonetheless. "However, you cannot leave the safety of the forest. Also, don't expect your friends to find you as they are all busy with something in town. For our own safety, we're not going to participate."

"Why not?" asked Kouen.

"Because the humans are celebrating the defeat of our lord, Kyuubi, and mourning over the deaths of those who have died that night six years ago." Yuki replied. "After breakfast, we're going to have a little chat before I release you."

xxxxx

When breakfast ended, the five of them sat in the living room. For safety reasons, Yuki cast the Sound Suppression Jutsu to prevent anyone from eavesdropping.

"Naruto, Kouen, Ginko, Tsuki, it's time I teach you what this day means to us." said Yuki as the four children listened. "The Kyuubi no Youko, or Nine-Tailed Fox to the humans, is one of the Nine Tailed Beasts, or Kyuu no Bijuu in the ancient tongue. Like the name states, there are nine of them that live in different regions and protect their territory. Today, I'm going to tell you all about them and I want you four to promise me that you will never tell another soul any of what I'll tell you this day. If a mortal were to gain this knowledge, it could be disastrous."

Kouen placed her right hand over her heart and looked right into Yuki's eyes. "I, Kouen Youko, promise on my honor as a kitsune, not to tell another soul of this knowledge unless allowed to by you, Mommy." she said.

"I, Ginko Youko, promise on my honor as a kitsune, not to tell another soul of this knowledge unless allowed to by you, Mommy." Ginko said after Kouen, mimicking her older sister.

"I, Tsuki Youko, promise on my honor as a kitsune, not to tell another soul of this knowledge unless allowed to by you, Mommy." Tsuki said after Ginko, mimicking her sisters.

"I, Naruto Uzumaki, promise on my honor as an Uzumaki, not to tell another soul of this knowledge unless allowed to by you, Ms. Yuki." Naruto said after Tsuki, mimicking the three vixens.

Yuki smiled at all of them. "Thank you, kits." she said. "Okay, I'll start with the One-Tail first. His name is Shukaku the Sand Spirit and is known as Ichibi no Shukaku, a gigantic raccoon dog with sandy brown fur and light blue markings. Each Bijuu can control some kind of element and has a power unique to themselves. Shukaku is able to control an entire desert at will. His body is even made of sand in his true form. His main element is wind, meaning he can manipulate it to some degree, but I'm not too sure how well he can manipulate it. Also, a Bijuu is either divine or demonic, which means that they are either a sacred beast or a demon. Shukaku is a demon, meaning he has youki like we do. His territory is the Land of Wind, which is mostly a desert. He actually feels quite at home there."

"Next is the Two-Tails. I believe she calls herself Neko now. She's known as Nibi no Bakeneko, a magnificent panther with pitch black fur and blue markings. Lady Neko also has two titles: the Empress of the Underworld and the Queen of the Dead. She is able to summon and control an entire army of the undead; an ability called necromancy. Her elements are fire, darkness, darkfire and hellfire, the latter two being mystical flames. Darkfire is used by several dark creatures and hellfire can only be used by Lady Neko and Lord Shinigami. Lady Neko is also a demon like Shukaku. Her territory is the underworld, where the dead reside. She rarely comes up here unless she has a very good reason." 'But I'm not going to tell you kits that reason. I mean, you're six! I haven't even explained the birds and the bees to you yet!' Yuki mentally added. She once met Neko years ago and knew exactly why she comes to the human realm.

"Next is the Three-Tails. If I'm not mistaken, he doesn't have a name. He's known as Sanbi no Kyodaigame. I don't remember what Lord Sanbi looks like, as I never had the pleasure of meeting him. Anyway, he is able to create illusions using mist; an interesting ability of his. His element is water and he is able to control it as will. Lord Sanbi is a demon and his territory is the Land of Water, but he has been spotted in other places with a large body of water. He is rarely ever spotted by humans and prefers to avoid them."

"Next is the Four-Tails. His name is Byakko is he's known as Yonbi no Raiko, a massive white tiger with golden stripes and is one of the few that can be summoned by humans. He is able to move super fast because of his element of lightning, can also attract lightning to himself whenever he wants and can control both lightning and any metallic object at will. His elements, like I mentioned, are lightning, earth to some degree and steel, the latter a very rare element for humans to possess. I'll tell you why when you're all older. Anyway, Lord Byakko is a sacred beast and his territory is the Land of Lightning, but he has a tendency to run across the plains of other countries in his smaller form. He, too, is rarely ever spotted by humans because of the speed he sprints at."

"Next is the Five-Tails. Her name is Fenrir and she's known as Gobi no Rouma, a majestic white wolf with the purest fur you will ever see and is another that can be summoned by humans. She is able to create illusions at will and can manipulate the fire, earth, wind, water and lightning elements to her will, but not as good as some of the other Bijuu. Her elements are wind, water, which she can manipulate both better than the other three, ice and light, a very powerful element. Lady Gobi is also a sacred beast and her territory is the Land of Snow, as she loves the cold climates."

"Next is the Six-Tails. Her name is Seiryuu and she is known as Rokubi no Hiryuu, a beautiful and powerful sky dragon, the queen of all dragons and is yet another that can be summoned by humans. She possesses both telekinesis and telepathy, meaning she can lift objects as heavy as her true form is with her mind as well as communicate with someone via her thoughts. She can even invade someone's mind if she wanted to! Her elements are fire, wind, in which she can't manipulate as well as Lady Gobi, and dragon fire, which is unique to all dragons. Lady Rokubi is a sacred beast and her territory is the mountains, so actually finding her is very difficult to do."

"Next is the Seven-Tails. Her name is Suzaku and she's known as Nanabi no Houou, an angelic and kindhearted phoenix, the queen of all phoenixes and is another that can be summoned by humans. She possesses clairvoyance, empathy and telepathy. Clairvoyance is the ability to see into the past and future and empathy is the ability to know someone's thoughts and feelings. Like all phoenixes, she can lift heavy loads, have excellent sight, their tears have healing powers, their down has revitalizing powers and they can travel anywhere by fire. Her elements are fire, wind, light and sacred fire, which is unique to all phoenixes. Lady Suzaku is a sacred beast and her territory is the former Land of Whirlpools, a small island country that has been attacked by the Land of Earth years ago. To this day, she is still very upset over it."

"Next is the Eight-Tails. Sadly, I don't know much about this Bijuu except that it's a he, looks like a giant demonic bull with tentacle-like tails, can manipulate gravity and resides in the Land of Earth."

"And finally, the Nine-Tails." Yuki paused as the kids were even more attentive than before. "He doesn't have a real name, as he usually goes by his title of Kyuubi no Youko, a very powerful youko and the first kitsune to ever reach youko status, which is by gaining nine tails. Like some of the others, he can be also summoned by humans, but only by those he allows to summon him. He is able to control most elements by using his tails, at least in his true form. He also has godlike strength, a near infinite supply of youki, meaning he's a demon, and his youki is negatively charged, unlike other energies that are positively charged. This means he can actually cancel out or repel the other energies by simply overpowering it. His elements are fire, earth, water, wood, light, darkness, shadow, void, which is unique to him and him alone, and foxfire, which is unique to all kitsunes. Lord Kyuubi's territory is the Land of Fire and he has been protecting this country for centuries."

Suddenly, Yuki becomes very sad. "Unfortunately, many decades ago, a human tried to control him and use him to fulfill his twisted desires, which is to destroy the Leaf Village." The children gasped. "Fortunately, the human was stopped by an old friend of mine and Lord Kyuubi's: the First Hokage. He was able to snap Lord Kyuubi back to his senses and defeat the human. However, the human managed to survive a seemingly fatal blow and sought out Lord Kyuubi again six years ago, thus the reason why the humans are mourning the dead this day." Her eyes suddenly grew cold. "Also, the humans are celebrating his defeat at the hands of the Fourth Hokage, who died protecting this village from Lord Kyuubi, who didn't really want to attack in the first place."

"So a human was responsible for causing so many deaths and framing Lord Kyuubi?" Ginko asked as she cried on Naruto's shoulder.

"Yes, Ginko." Yuki replied as she, too, was crying, along with Kouen and Tsuki. "This is why I don't want you kits to become ninjas of this village. If they find out that you are kitsunes, they will not hesitate to kill you and all that would do is have this village destroyed, as I will not stand idly by and watch my kits be treated like monsters by these arrogant humans." After Yuki calmed herself down, she added, "Now remember, don't breathe a word of this to anyone unless I allow you to. Am I clear?" The four kids nodded. "Good. You're free to go now."

xxxxx

Several hours later, Naruto found himself in the forest, looking for his friends. 'I know she said that they won't come and see us, but they just might.' he thought. Today is a special day to him, but he never enjoyed it one bit. The mobs were always worse on this day, especially since most of them were drunk. Despite his best interests, he decided to stay in the forest while he looked for his friends.

After four hours of searching, Naruto finally gave up and headed back home, wanting to spend the rest of this day in his room. Unfortunately, he was spotted by someone. "It's the demon! Get him!" the person yelled, who turned out to be a chūnin kunoichi. Twenty more ninjas sprang forth and threw shuriken and kunai at the boy, who was busy seeking cover from the shower of ninja tools.

Luckily, the throwing weapons missed him, but Naruto was trapped. He searched for a way out and found one, which would lead him into the village, out in the open. Out of options, he took off after throwing a smoke bomb he had on him, concealing his escape. After the smoke cleared, the group of ninjas ran off in pursuit.

Thanks to his high stamina for his age and his training under Yuki, he was able to avoid the mob several times, only for them to spot him again after he came out of hiding. It got even worse when a second mob, consisting of drunken villagers, started to chase him as well.

After half an hour, he somehow managed to evade both mobs and make it back into the forest. He was looking for a hiding spot when a large fireball caught a tree on fire and caused it to fall, blocking the boy's path. Two more trees met the same fate and Naruto found himself cornered as both mobs slowly closed in on him.

When they managed to get within striking distance of him, the dusk sky suddenly darkened as the forest rustled in anger. Without little warning, thick vines shot out of the ground and wrapped themselves around the ninjas, trapping them in their unbreakable grip. They then sprouted thick, two-inch thorns, causing them to scream in pain. The villagers panicked, thinking that it was Naruto's doing. But before they could run, more vines shot out and ensnared them as well. The vines then froze, trapping the screaming villagers in place.

A moment later, the raging fire quickly died out as a figure, bathed in light, appeared in front of the boy. Naruto could not make out any details of the figure except that it was a woman no older than Yuki's physical age. **"Why have you attacked this child with the intention of killing him?"** the woman spoke in a divine voice that captivated the boy, despite the angry tone it carried.

"Because he is a demon!" a male jounin yelled angrily, thinking that she, too, is a demon.

The woman narrowed her eyes at the man. Suddenly, the vines that bound him pulled him into the ground, burying him alive. **"Anyone else want to give me an answer?"** Seeing that they were too scared to speak, she continued. **"Good. Do this again and I will burn this village to the ground, sparing not a soul in it."** Her eyes glowed and the two mobs were unconscious in an instant.

She turned around and saw Naruto staring at her with an awed look in his eyes. **"It's alright, child. I have not come to hurt you."** she spoke in a gentle voice that sounded heavenly as she held out her hand. After a moment, Naruto hesitantly took her hand and let her guide him through the forest.

Watching from the shadows, Yuki smiled as she saw the scene play out and got it all on camera. 'Time to inform the Hokage about this.' she thought before making her way to the Hokage Tower when she saw Naruto walk off with the mysterious woman.

xxxxx

After a few minutes of walking, the woman led him to a large field with patches of various flowers, which Naruto idly noted was close to Yuki's place. There were cherry blossom trees scattered about along with other trees surrounding the field. There was a small waterfall that emptied into a pond, which fed a stream that flowed into the forest. There was even a cave that was big enough to house a family of bears.

As Naruto looked around, the woman's gaze was focused on the young boy. When he finally noticed, he wondered why she was looking so intently at him. "Um, this place is really nice, but why did you bring me here?" he asked.

The woman smiled at him. **"Can you keep a secret?"**

"Yes." Naruto nodded.

The woman's smile grew more loving as the ethereal glow around her faded, revealing the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. Calf-length red hair that shimmered in the moonlight, deep violet eyes full of love and happiness and pale skin wrapped in a pure white kimono with red trim and a phoenix design, a red obi around her slim waist. Tabi socks and straw sandals adorned her feet. She also has on a white haori with red flames trimming the bottom hem. Around her neck is a heart-shaped silver pendant attached to a silver chain.

Naruto stared at the beautiful woman before him and asked, "Who are you?"

"My name is Kushina, but I am known by a different name, or at least I should be." the woman, now named Kushina, replied.

"And what's that?" he asked.

Kushina walked up to Naruto and knelt before him. She put her hands on his shoulders and leaned in close. "Your mother." she whispered into his ear.

Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief. 'There's no way this woman is my mom! I mean, she's dead!' he thought, a little upset and a bit angry.

Somehow, Kushina heard his thoughts and said, "I know that I'm supposed to be dead, but I was allowed to see you this night."

"What do you mean 'supposed to be dead'?" he asked.

Kushina picked Naruto up and walked over to one of the cherry blossom trees. She sat down and sat Naruto on her lap. "One of Yuki's superiors is able to speak with me, even from beyond the grave. She allowed me to come see you, but only for tonight. Think of it as a late birthday present." she explained.

When Kushina said birthday, his eyes widened. "B-But-" He was silenced by Kushina putting a finger to his lips.

"Shh..." said Kushina as she pulled him into a warm hug. "I know what you're about to say, Naruto. Today is your sixth birthday, and the fact that I am here is your present for the five birthdays that I have missed." She started rocking back and forth as tears welled up in Naruto's eyes. "It's okay, my son. Mommy's here, and I won't ever leave you again."

That did it. Naruto latched onto Kushina and cried out all the pain and sadness he had for being an orphan, never getting to meet his parents and all the sadness that happened this day. Kushina cried right beside him as she, too, was sad that she had missed out on so much time with her son, getting to know him, teaching him right from wrong, training him to be the best he can be and generally being what she had always wanted to be: a mother.

Mother and son continued to sit there, even after their tears dried up. After ten minutes of silence, Naruto spoke up. "Mommy, will I ever get to see you again after tonight?"

Kushina's heart swelled and she felt like crying again. Not of sadness, but of joy for hearing her son call her Mommy. "That's what my present for you is." she said as she reached into her kimono and pulled out a long black box with a gold ribbon tied around it.

Naruto looked at the box, then Kushina and asked, "For me?" Kushina nodded as she handed him the box. He took it, untied the ribbon and opened the box to see a pendant just like Kushina's.

When he showed it to her, she said, "That's a locket made of pure silver, as is the chain. Go ahead, open it."

Hearing that it's a locket and not a pendant like he thought it was, Naruto opened it and what he saw made his eyes water again. The left side showed a picture of Tsunade and the right side showed a picture of Kushina. Both women were smiling lovingly in the photos. Naruto closed it, put it around his neck and hugged Kushina tightly. "Thank you, Mommy! I love it!" he said to her.

Kushina smiled as she embraced her son. "I'm glad that you do. Happy birthday, my little Naruto." After they pulled away, she added, "As long as you keep that locket on you, you'll be able to talk to Tsunade during the day and me at night. You'll even be able to see me as you sleep. This is my present to you and how I'm going to remain in your life, my son." She then got sad all of a sudden. "I just wish you could meet your father as well."

"Why can't I?" he asked.

"Because he's beyond the reach of even Yuki's superiors. Not even I, in death, am allowed to see him." she replied sadly.

"Can you, at least, tell me about him, Mommy?" Naruto asked her. Now that he got to meet his mother, he wanted to know something, anything, about his father.

Kushina smiled at him. "I can't tell you much, but what I can involves this garden." she said, waving her hand at the scenery. "You see, this is where your father proposed to me." She stopped when she saw his confused look. "Yuki didn't teach you about love and marriage yet, did she?" Naruto shook her head. "Okay, I'll explain this again when you're older. Well, proposing means, at least in this case, to ask someone to marry you. In other words, your father asked me if I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. I was so happy that he wanted me as his wife. Almost two years after we got married, I gave birth to you. That was the happiest day in my life, next to marrying your father."

Kushina and Naruto continued to sit under the cherry blossom tree, telling each other all about themselves, their lives and the like. After two hours, Kushina pulled Naruto closer. "You better head back to Yuki's place soon, son. The vixens are probably very worried." she said to him.

"No! I want to stay with you a bit longer!" Naruto exclaimed, afraid to leave his mother's side. "Please... I want to stay with you..."

"Naruto, I can't remain here for much longer. I am here for tonight only and you need to head back so they're not worried about you." Kushina told him as she, herself, didn't want to leave her son again. "Don't worry, I'll be waiting in your room. I'll stay with you for the whole night if you want me to."

Naruto looked at her, his eyes showing great sadness, but he nodded and allowed her to take him back to Yuki's.

xxxxx

When he got back, Kushina suddenly turned herself invisible and snuck up to Naruto's room while he himself was buried under three six-year-old vixens.

"Naruto, where have you been?" the triplets said in unison. "We were so worried!"

After Naruto managed to stand up, he pulled the girls into a big hug. "I know. I'm sorry I had worried you, but I'm alright now."

"Oh, and by the way..." Ginko began with a smile.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" exclaimed the Youko family and his friends as they all came out of hiding.

Naruto was completely stunned as Ino and Tenten dragged him to the table, where a big birthday cake shaped like a white slug with light blue markings sat. He smiled happily. He would never forget this day in his life... the day of his first real birthday party.

Watching from the stairs, Kushina smiled as she saw her son surrounded by his friends. 'I'm so glad I managed to find Yuki's camcorder. Tsunade-sensei would love to see this!' she thought as she held the camcorder in her hands. Still invisible, she started moving about and filming Naruto's party, being careful not to bump into anyone.

xxxxx

Three hours later, Naruto sat in his room talking to Kushina, who just told him that she recorded his party and wanted him to give the tape to Tsunade the next time he saw her.

"Naruto, I want you to listen very carefully and remember not to tell another soul other than Tsunade or Yuki, as I'm sure they both know." Kushina said to him as he rested his head under her chin. Naruto nodded and waited for his mother to continue. "Do you know what a kekkei genkai is?" He shook his head. "Well, a kekkei genkai, or bloodline trait, is a special ability that is inherited by members of a particular clan, like Hinata's Byakugan. You and I both have two bloodline traits."

"Does that mean we're apart of two clans?" he asked.

"No." Naruto looked dejected at that. "We're the last of two clans." Now, he looked even more dejected. "Be proud of your heritage, son. You and I are part of the few that has more than one kekkei genkai. Other clans have actually tried to mix their bloodlines before and ended up failing. The Hyuuga and Uchiha clans have also tried, despite the tension that still exists between them."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever met an Uchiha before?" Naruto shook his head. "Well, a friend of mine is an Uchiha. Ask Yuki tomorrow about Mikoto. She'll know who that is. Anyway, the Uchiha clan has a kekkei genkai called the Sharingan. Unlike the Byakugan, which gives the user the ability to see all around them, from long distances and even chakra, the Sharingan allows the user to see things clearly and in great detail, can slow things down, making it easier for the user to anticipate an attack, and instantly memorize anything they see, including jutsu."

"Wow..." was all Naruto had to say.

"Yes, it is quite impressive." Kushina commented. "Anyway, both clans have hated each other for centuries and they still do. Don't ask me why, though. Anyway, a few decades ago, a female Hyuuga and a male Uchiha fell in love. These two had a son, who turned out to be blind, which is considered a sin in both clans."

"Why was the child blind?" he asked.

"Because the Sharingan and the Byakugan are both visual jutsu." she replied. "See, a kekkei genkai falls under one of three different types: physical-based, chakra-based or a visual jutsu. If it's physical-based, then it's an ability that has something to do with your body in some way. If it's chakra-based, then it's an ability that has something to do with your chakra in some way. If it's a visual jutsu, then it's an ability that has something to do with your eyes in some way."

"Most chakra-based bloodlines allow you to use an element you normally can't use, such as ice or wood." she added. She then looked at the potted herbs by the window and smiled. Naruto watched as the herbs started to grow a little more. "This is an example of such a bloodline. I am able to use wood style ninjutsu, and I hope that you can too. If not, I'll find a way to allow you to."

"You will?" he asked her with hope in his eyes. He thought what his mom did was cool and he wanted to do the same.

"Absolutely. I would love to teach you all that I know. But right now, you are too young and don't even know the basics." she said to him. "But once I think you are ready, I will teach you every jutsu that I know and then some, especially our clan jutsu. But remember, this is our little secret. No one else will ever know them unless I allow you to teach them to someone. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Mommy." he nodded.

"Good. Now get some sleep. I'll be right here all night keeping those bad dreams away. And when you go to sleep from now on, I'll be right there in your dreams waiting for you." Kushina sad as she tucked her son into his bed. She kissed his forehead as his eyes began to close. "Good night, Naruto. I love you."

"I love you too, Mommy. Good night." Naruto said before sleep claimed him.

Kushina smiled as she laid down next to him, watching him sleep. After a few minutes, she spoke in a low voice so she doesn't wake up Naruto. "You can come in now, Yuki."

As if on cue, the door opened to reveal Yuki in an ocean-blue nightgown and nightrobe. "Well?" the vixen asked.

"You took excellent care of my son and taught him much in the year you had him. Thanks again for doing this for me and for letting me borrow your camcorder." Kushina replied, not looking at the fox-woman. "Oh, how I wish I could stay. He needs both me and Minato and I don't want to leave him again."

"I know, but you know you can't stay and only the Shinigami can speak to Minato." said Yuki as she sat in Naruto's chair.

"I know..." Kushina said sadly. "I don't like the fact that I can't see my husband again, even in death, or the fact that I'm separated from my only child. Even with the locket I gave him, it's still not the same as truly having me in his life."

"I know what you mean." Yuki muttered under her breath, hoping that Kushina didn't hear it.

She did. "You still wish he could be freed right now?" the redhead asked as she turned to face the seven-tailed kitsune.

"Not at the cost of your son's life." said Yuki. "Even with your powers, not even you could save him if the seal is released or broken."

"Don't remind me." Kushina mumbled. She placed a hand on her stomach and added, "I still remember how happy Minato was when I told him I was pregnant with Naruto."

"The same with me when I told my mate I was pregnant with the triplets." Yuki added as she placed a hand on her own stomach. "Your son and my daughter have a thing for each other. What do you think about it?"

"Ah, you mean Ginko? Yes, I've seen both her and Hinata kiss his cheek when they gave him their presents." said Kushina, then chuckled. "Personally, I don't mind if they both fell in love with him. They'll both be good for him."

"You sure you want your son dating more than one girl?" Yuki asked.

"To be honest, no because I know that Jiraiya would try to corrupt him, which would only get him killed by Tsunade." Both women chuckled at that. "But in this case, I'm okay with it. He's so much like his father and I can see lots of happiness between the three of them." Kushina then giggled to herself. "I can't wait until Naruto gets older. So much to teach him, yet so little time before the hardships truly start to happen."

"What did you see, old friend?" Yuki asked.

"Nothing that you should worry about for now." Kushina replied. "Tomorrow, take Naruto to see Mikoto. I want her to know that her nephew is safe and happy. Also, make sure that Fugaku doesn't know. I don't want that foolish man to try anything funny with my son."

"You're still mad at him, aren't you?" Yuki asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"Damn straight! He tried to break my husband's heart and almost forced me to kill him! There's no way I'll ever trust him!" Kushina raged, but then looked over to see her son still sleeping. She sighed.

"What about their children? Do you want Naruto to meet them as well?"

Kushina thought it over for a few moments. She knew that Fugaku and Mikoto have two sons, both older than Naruto, but she's unsure if it's a good idea to introduce Naruto to them without her there to protect him from Fugaku if he decided to make an appearance. "No, I don't think that's a good idea. Fugaku might get suspicious and show up, and that'll only cause trouble."

Yuki nodded in understanding. "No problem, Kushina. I hope we get to see each other again." she said as she got up.

Kushina nodded. "My thoughts exactly, Yuki. Good night."

"Good night." said Yuki as she closed the door and headed back to her room.

xxxxx

A/N: And there you have chapter four. This one was a long one to do as I was stuck on how to actually do Naruto's birthday. After I got over that writer's block, the rest seemed to flow right into place.

I just want to point out a few things. First, Kouen, Ginko and Tsuki's birthdays are late May so Naruto knows what a birthday party is. Right now, all of his friends, save for Hinata, are six years old. Second, love actually can show up at a young age. You just don't know that it's love until you're older, so it becomes a crush. That's where the term childhood sweethearts came from, or at least that's what I think. Anyway, I think it's cute how they are so close, but they are not at the kissing stage. Sure, a kiss on the cheek here and there I can do at this point, but no liplocking. I mean, they're five and six years old! Wait a few more chapters and you might see them kissing, though I don't know how far I'll be in a few chapters at this point.

Now some of you might complain about bringing Kushina into the story when she is dead. This is actually part of the plot as some of Naruto's jutsu comes directly from Kushina. Besides, having her see her son after six years was the best present I could think of. And before anyone says it, no I am not going to resurrect her. My decision is final!

Another thing I'm a bit concerned about is the descriptions on the Bijuu. I'm missing quite a bit, mainly information on Sanbi and Hachibi. All I know about them I included in this chapter and some of it I made up. This is fanfiction, remember? I can make stuff up if I wanted to. I just need a good reason to. I don't have one for Sanbi and Hachibi, as I want them to be as accurate as possible. PM me if you have any info on them, though I'm not going to add it to this chapter. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Story Update: 2/27/2011: I have updated this chapter's information on the Bijuu after gathering more information on them, making it as accurate as possible. Of course, I did not add much information nor did I change any of Sanbi or Hachibi's data, like actually adding Hachibi's full name or anything else about it. Even still, my data is still incomplete and this was updated during a time when I did not have an internet connection.

Changes from before: Two key elements that I've put in this chapter is the garden Kushina took Naruto to and the locket she gave him. I introduced the garden during the original chapter one as a place Naruto was led to by Yuuga of the Sea, who later became Yuki Youko. However, that knowledge was revealed during chapter thirteen. In this chapter, I replaced Yuuga with Kushina and added the reason why she knew about the garden. The locket was introduced during chapter thirteen by Naruto, who stated that Tsunade gave it to him when he was six years old. In this chapter, I replaced Tsunade with Kushina and added the ability where he can speak with Tsunade during the day, Kushina during the night and see his mother while he sleeps. Unlike in most stories, including some of my own, time will move normally when he visits Kushina when he's asleep. This will make it a little easier on me to write the mother/son scenes in this story. Also, it won't make it seem like he's getting super strong rather quick for his age.

Translations:

Senbon: Throwing Needle

Hachibi: Eight-Tails

Byakugan: White Eyes  
Sharingan: Copy Wheel Eyes

Neko: Cat

Shinigami: God of Death

Ichibi no Shukaku: Shukaku the One-Tailed  
Nibi no Bakeneko: Two-Tailed Monster Cat  
Sanbi no Kyodaigame: Three-Tailed Giant Turtle  
Yonbi no Raiko: Four-Tailed Lightning Tiger  
Gobi no Rouma: Five-Tailed Wolf Demon  
Rokubi no Hiryuu: Six-Tailed Flying Dragon  
Nanabi no Houou: Seven-Tailed Mythical Phoenix  
Kyuubi no Youko: Nine-Tailed Demon Fox

Response Corner:

alexrc55: Oay, you made three good points in your review. First, I agree that he would show signs of being fond of the girls. Hew wouldn't fully understand them, but would welcome them. Second, I'm sorry I mistyped your penname. I went back and fixed it. Third, I'm glad you're enjoying my story so far.

NeoKenshin: Kenshin, many of the elements of the story won't change, so I think you know the answer to that question without me telling you. As for your other question, I believe this chapter should point you in the right direction.

No preview this time. I'm going to leave you guessing as to what will happen next.

Later!


	5. Arc 1 Chapter 5

**The Kitsune and the Neko**

"Talking"  
'Thoughts'  
**Demon/Deity/Dire Beast  
**_Flashback/Mind Link_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Arc 1: The Early Years  
Chapter 5: Secrets**

Eight months have passed since Naruto's first true birthday and things have been looking up for him.

The morning after his birthday, he woke up and saw that his mother was gone, but she left him a note saying that she'll visit him again. When, she doesn't know. He smiled and hid the letter in his desk before the vixens could discover it.

Like Kushina had asked him to, he asked Yuki about Mikoto and she took him and her daughters to meet the woman. Naruto knew that Mikoto was an Uchiha, but he had no idea she was the headmistress of the entire clan. He and the girls spent three hours getting to know the woman, who was just as kindhearted as Yuki and Hikari. They even got to meet her eldest son, Itachi. According to Mikoto, Itachi is more like her than her other son, Sasuke, who's more like his father. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, the four six-year-olds didn't get to meet Mikoto's husband or youngest son.

When Naruto was alone with Mikoto, he asked how she knew his mother. She said that she trained under Tsunade alongside Kushina and Hikari and was a very close friend of his father, in which she, too, refused to tell him who he is. She did tell him all about her two sons, though. In Naruto's opinion, Itachi seems to be a little too stiff, but is very nice and fun to be around. Sasuke, on the other hand, seems a little shy and depends too much on his family. Mikoto told him that Sasuke would join the Ninja Academy next year, like him, and she would like him to try and befriend her son, as he doesn't have any friends. Naruto said that he would try.

In November, he, Ino and Tsuki had a rather interesting day at the park.

_Naruto, Ino and Tsuki were currently sunbathing in a field of flowers when they heard someone screaming for help. Sitting up, the three friends ran off in search of the disturbance. They ended up finding a girl their age with shoulder-length pink hair and green eyes surrounded by three older girls as they pulled on her hair._

_The trio narrowed their eyes as they darted towards the scene. Tsuki and Ino shouted out to them to gain their attention. With the three girls distracted, Naruto snuck up to the crying girl, covered her mouth, so she wouldn't scream, and quietly snuck her away. Once Naruto was gone, Ino and Tsuki made a hasty retreat to meet up with Naruto._

_Behind a tree, Naruto was busy calming the distraught girl. Once she was calm, she looked into Naruto's eyes and blushed slightly. 'Why do girls do that?' he asked himself._

"Do what?" Tsunade asked through their mental link.

"Blush wherever they look into my eyes." Naruto replied.

"Well, you got some pretty eyes, just like your parents. Is it wrong for the girls to like your eyes?" she teased him.

Naruto decided not to answer her question in favor of what the girl is about to say to him._ "T-Thank you for rescuing me." she shyly said to him. "My name is Sakura. What's your name?"_

_"Naruto." he replied. "Are you okay, Sakura?"_

_Sakura nodded as Ino and Tsuki arrived. "Are they your friends?"_

_"Yeah. That's Ino and Tsuki." said Naruto, pointing to the two girls, who waved at Sakura. "Girls, this is Sakura."_

_"Hi." the two girls said to her._

Since then, Sakura joined Naruto's list of friends. When she learned that they were training for the Ninja Academy, she asked if she could join them, as she wanted to become a doctor. The friends said yes and Sakura even managed to convince her mother, who Naruto and Kouen had the pleasure of meeting one day, if she could enter the Ninja Academy next year. Sakura's mother, Sayuki, agreed and allowed her daughter to train alongside Naruto and his friends.

In May, the vixens decided to let their friends know about their little secret and wanted Naruto's help.

_After dinner, Naruto, Kouen, Ginko and Tsuki went inside Naruto's room to talk. After his door was closed, everyone took a seat on the bed._

_"So what is it that had you three so quiet during dinner?" Naruto asked. Never were the three sisters silent during a meal. They always have something to talk about, no matter how small it is._

_The triplets frowned before Tsuki leaned onto Naruto's shoulder and said, "We want to tell our friends about..." She stopped, then wagged her tail._

_Even though Tsuki didn't finish, Naruto knew what she wanted to say. "Girls, are you sure you want them to know so soon?" he asked them. "I mean, Ino has a hard time keeping secrets and Sakura is rather shy, despite how much work Ino put into bringing her out of her shell. I know that Shino knows and doesn't mind, but-"_

_"Shino already knows?" Ginko interrupted._

_When Naruto nodded, Tsuki and Ginko looked at Kouen. "What?" she said._

_"You know what." said Ginko. "Why did you tell Shino that we're kitsunes?"_

_"That's my business and my business alone." Kouen stated firmly, glaring at the silver fox-girl._

_"Girls, please. This isn't the time." Naruto interjected. "Just tell me why you want them to know."_

_"Because I like Ino and Sakura and I don't want to lose them as friends." Tsuki replied as she hugged Naruto from his right side._

_"Because Hinata and I have gotten really close. I don't want her to think that I don't trust her." Ginko added as she hugged Naruto from his left side. Naruto blushed from his position between the two vixens._

_All eyes fell on Kouen as they awaited her reason for telling them. She sighed, a bit upset at being singled out like this. "Because I like Shino, okay!" she admitted with a small blush and a glare._

_Ginko looked at her older sister in disbelief. "You like Shino... and you dare tease me and Naruto? I'm so gonna have so much fun with this!" she said before she was pounced on by Kouen._

_Tsuki and Naruto quickly separated the two girls, breaking up the fight. "Stop it, you two!" they both demanded._

_Kouen still looked mad, but Ginko's ears dropped, as did her tail. "Sorry, Naruto." she whimpered._

_Naruto and Tsuki looked at Kouen, who wasn't going to budge. But the double stern look she got caused her to cave. "I'm sorry, Ginko. I shouldn't have gotten mad."_

_"I'm sorry too, Kouen. I shouldn't have provoked you like that." said Ginko before she and Kouen hugged each other, with Tsuki and Naruto joining them after a moment._

_"Now that that's settled, are you sure you want to tell them?" Naruto asked. After they nodded, he added, "Okay. Tomorrow, let's bring them here and we'll tell them... together."_

Needless to say, the friends are even closer than before. As Naruto expected, Shino didn't care that Tsuki and Ginko weren't human, just like he didn't with Kouen. Shikamaru didn't care that they were kitsunes. He even admitted that he knew that they were different, but thought it was too troublesome to figure out what it was. Chouji didn't mind at all, especially since he thought their tails were kind of cute, which got him a hug from Tsuki. Ino didn't mind either, but was a little bummed that they were so much cuter than her, which caused the vixens to laugh. Sakura also didn't mind and she even started to come out of her shell more. Hinata and Tenten didn't mind care either and they were even closer to Ginko and Kouen respectively.

xxxxx

It's now June and Naruto is currently playing cards with his friends, save for Shino, Shikamaru and Chouji.

After over two hours and three different card games, someone knocked on the door to his room. "Naruto, are you in there?" a familiar voice sounded from the other side.

Naruto looked up from his hand, a huge smile on his face. "Yes. Come on in." he said as he put his hand facedown so the girls couldn't see what he has.

The door opened, revealing Tsunade with her arms held out to him. Almost immediately, Naruto darted to her, embracing her. "I missed you, sweetie." she said in a motherly tone as she hugged him.

"I missed you too, Tsunade." he replied. Several months back, he suddenly stopped addressing her as 'Lady Tsunade' unless around others. The woman didn't mind this at all, as Jiraiya and Sarutobi doesn't address her that way either.

Tenten's eyes widened as she dropped her cards. 'Naruto knows Lady Tsunade?' All her friends know how much she idolized the medical expert, stating how much of a role model she is to kunoichis and medical ninjas everywhere. She even inspires to be just as great as she is. She knows that she has a long way to go, but she'll reach it someday.

Sakura and Ino weren't as shocked as Tenten, but were shocked nonetheless. Their friend know the legendary kunoichi, but did not tell them. "Naruto, why didn't you tell us you knew Lady Tsunade?" Ino nearly demanded, with Sakura and Tenten nodding their heads vigorously.

Naruto turned to his friends while remaining in Tsunade's arms. "Because you either wouldn't believe me or might end up telling somebody. I didn't want anybody to know about it. I mean, it's not that big a deal."

"Naruto, Lady Tsunade is a living legend! How is that not a big deal?" Tenten pointed out.

"Because we both know that someone might try to use him to get me to train one of their kids." Tsunade answered. "I don't want people exploiting Naruto like that. He's very special to me and I don't want that getting out to anyone like that."

The three girls nodded, understanding what the woman was saying. "So Naruto, are these the friends you told me about?"

Naruto nodded. "Yup, these are them, except for Shino, Shikamaru and Chouji. Shino left the village a few days ago to spend the summer with his father, Shikamaru is busy with his mother and Chouji's at home with an upset stomach."

Tsunade nodded as she walked over to the girls, still holding Naruto in her arms. "You must be Tenten. Arashi told me much about you, as did Naruto." Tsunade said to the Kazama girl. "You want to be like me, right?" Tenten nodded. "Well, from the way they speak of you, I'd say you're on the right track. Maybe one summer, I can take you with me."

"I-I would love you learn under you, Lady Tsunade." said Tenten.

Tsunade chuckled before looking at Ino. "So, Inoichi's daughter, eh? You got some good taste, kid. She's a keeper." Naruto blushed. "Anyway, you know about herbs?" Ino nodded. "How much?"

"Um, not all of it, but about a third of what my mother knows." Ino replied.

"Ah, that's right. I forgot that Ikana was a nurse before she got married. Was she the one who taught you?" Ino nodded. "Good. I'll ask her and Inoichi later if I could take you out one summer. Are you and Tenten interested in the medical field?" Ino nodded while Tenten shrugged. "Well, I think it's a good idea for you to, at least, have basic medical knowledge by the time you become kunoichis. That way, you'll be able to treat your squadmates if they're ever injured."

Tsunade then looked at Sakura. "And you must be Sayuki's daughter, Sakura." The pinkette nodded. "Well, looks like I have my work cut out for me. Do you have any ninja training?"

"Um, yes I do, Lady Tsunade. Ms. Yuki taught me all that I know about the ninja lifestyle and is helping me prepare for the Ninja Academy." Sakura replied.

Tsunade smiled. "What I hear is that you want to be a doctor. Is that true?" Sakura nodded. "Well, I'll see if Sayuki won't mind me taking you one summer as well. The village could use more medics."

Sakura smiled happily. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade."

"No problem. It's one of the perks for being Naruto's friend." Tsunade teased. "I'm kidding, but it is one of the perks for being me."

xxxxx

The next day, Tsunade and Shizune were at the gate with Naruto, Kouen and Tsuki, ready to leave. Their friends and their mothers were with them to see them off.

"Well, good luck, you three." said Yuki.

"Train hard, but don't get hurt." sad Hikari.

"Stay out of trouble." said Ikana.

"Listen well to Lady Tsunade and Shizune." said Tenten's mother, Tenshi. She looks just like Tenten, but her brown hair fell down to the small of her back.

"Remember to always eat healthy so you don't get sick." said Sayuki. She looks just like Sakura, but her pink hair fell down to her mid-back.

"And remember to always have fun." said Mikoto. She is a beautiful woman with long dark hair and onyx eyes. She and Itachi came to see them off and to give the kids something. "And when you can sensei, see if you can teach them this." She handed Tsunade a scroll and whispered. "Don't open it until the kids are asleep. I know that Naruto can use it. Don't ask me how, though. Call it mother's intuition."

Itachi managed to hear what his mother said and rolled his eyes. "Also, stay together and keep each other safe. I look forward to seeing how well you do against me when you are old enough, Naruto. Perhaps I might even be able to train you as my student." He winked, getting the boy to smile.

Suddenly, Naruto was pulled away from the group by Ginko and Hinata. Everyone watched as the two girls dragged him behind a tree.

"What was that about?" Tenten wondered.

Ino narrowed her eyes at the tree her friends are behind and said, "I think they like him."

"They do." Kouen said with a smile.

"Kouen!" Tsuki chided quietly.

"What?"

The mothers giggled, knowing how this will turn out. "So when do you think it'll happen?" Ikana asked Sayuki.

"What?"

"Their first kiss."

"Hmm... I'll say two years." said Sayuki.

"I'll say three years." said Ikana.

"Eighteen months." said Tenshi.

"Five years." sad Hikari.

"Four years." said Mikoto.

"Fifteen months." said Tsunade.

"Six years." said Shizune.

All eyes turned to Yuki, who haven't voiced her opinion. "What?" Everyone gave her a look, and she sighed. "Okay. Um... I'll also say five years."

Just then, Naruto, Ginko and Hinata walked back to the group with flushed faces.

_Hinata and Ginko pushed Naruto into the trunk of the tree before they embraced him. "Come back safe!" they both said._

_Naruto looked at them, confused as to what was going on. 'Are they worried about me?' he asked himself. He then hugged both girls and said, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Remember who I'm gonna be with? Nothing bad will happen to us."_

_Both girls looked at him, pink blushes on their cheeks. "It's just... we haven't been apart since the day we met. I just feel so happy being near you." said Ginko._

_"As do I, Naruto. You are the first male friend I ever had and the only boy I know who actually likes my eyes and doesn't think they're creepy." Hinata added._

_"What about Shino?" Naruto asked her._

_"He doesn't care if my eyes are different or not. You, on the other hand, like my eyes this way." she replied with a smile. "You'll write to us, right?"_

_"Of course I will. I'll send each of you a letter. How does that sound?" he said._

_Both girls nodded with happy smiles. Then, still with tinted cheeks, they leaned forward and pressed their lips onto his whiskered cheeks, causing them to turn red as well. When they both pulled away, they hugged him again._

"And just what were you three doing behind that tree?" Yuki asked them.

The trio blushed brighter and Hinata looked a little faint.

"I hope you three weren't doing anything that you shouldn't be doing." Yuki added.

Right then and there, Hinata fainted. Luckily, Naruto caught her before she could hit the ground.

"Mommy, look what you did!" said Ginko as she pointed at Hinata.

Yuki laughed. "Sorry. Force of habit."

Ginko sighed. "Why does everyone always have to pick on us?" she asked no one in particular.

"Wish I could help you there, Ginko. Not even I know the answer to that one." Tsunade replied.

"Maybe it's one of life's greatest mysteries." said Shizune.

Mikoto shrugged. "You might be right."

Ginko and Itachi rolled their eyes while Naruto handed Hinata to Tenten, who proceeded to wake her up. Once she did, the girls, minus Kouen and Tsuki, gave Naruto a hug before he left with the two medical ninjas and two vixens.

xxxxx

Later, the girls were hanging out at the playground, though Ino was grilling Hinata and Ginko on what happened behind the tree with Naruto.

"We've told you already. All we did was wish him luck." said an annoyed Ginko.

"I know something happened back there. You three wouldn't come back blushing for no reason." Ino persisted.

"Ino, please... Just drop it." Hinata said shyly. With Naruto gone for the next few months and Ino pestering her and Ginko, her confidence seemed to have left her.

"Not until I'm told something!" Ino demanded.

Tenten sighed. "Ino, if they said nothing happened, then perhaps nothing did happen. Haven't you ever considered that?"

Ino looked at the bun-haired girl with a raised eyebrow. "Then why did they pull him aside just to wish him luck?"

"Those three are very close, Ino. They have been for a long time." Sakura pointed out. "They have a right to keep secrets from us. We do from them, don't we?"

Tenten nodded in agreement. Ino sighed and nodded as well. "You're right. I'm sorry, Hinata, Ginko." the platinum blonde said.

Ginko gently hugged Ino with a smile. "It's okay. Just don't be so persistent next time." she said. "I get teased about it at home too much. I don't need that out here too."

Ino nodded before giving Hinata a hug as well.

xxxxx

Later that night, Shizune watched as Naruto slept with Kouen curled up on his right side and Tsuki curled up on his left side. They have made it to Otafaku Town, a village full of inns not too far from the Leaf Village, and were able to fill the girls in on what they can and can't do. Tsunade stepped out over two hours ago to get supplies while she watched the kids. She looked to her left and saw Tonton asleep in her own personal bed. Since they travel a lot, they have a bed sealed up just for the little piglet. The nineteen-year-old woman loves taking care of her, but she can be a real handful sometimes. However, that's not the case with Tsunade or Naruto. Not only do they love taking care of the pig, but she has never given them a hard time. She assumes that it's because Tonton is Tsunade's pet and Naruto has a way with females, no matter the age or species. The young six-year-old has befriended humans, animals and demons and may even have the heart of a human and a demon in a few years. She giggled to herself as she pictured Naruto, Hinata and Ginko having a picnic date together.

She was pulled from her thoughts when Tsunade slipped in, making sure she doesn't wake the kids up. "Are they asleep?" she asked.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade. I've put them to bed about ten minutes ago." Shizune replied as she helped out her mistress, who's carrying a few sacks full of various supplies they'll need for their journey.

After taking inventory and putting things away, Tsunade pulled out the scroll that Mikoto gave her. "Any idea what's in the scroll?" Shizune asked.

"Probably, but let's take a look, shall we." Tsunade replied before unfurling the scroll. Both kunoichis looked at it and noticed that it contained a letter to Naruto from Mikoto, along with several seals that only Naruto can unseal. After skimming through the letter, Tsunade gasped when she discovered something. "How the hell did she do that?" she whispered in shock.

"Do what?" Shizune asked before reading the contents of the scroll herself. She gasped as well when she figured out what Tsunade was talking about. "But... isn't that impossible?"

"Not really, Shizune." Tsunade answered. "I've heard a rumor that it's possible, but that it was merely a rumor and was something that could never happen. Perhaps there might be some truth to it after all."

"But what does this mean, Lady Tsunade?" Shizune wondered. "Has Lady Mikoto really figured out how to-"

"We won't know until it's time, Shizune." Tsunade interrupted. "For now, we keep quiet about it and not let it slip to Naruto." She promptly rolled up the scroll before placing it on her lap.

"But what about the scroll?" Shizune asked.

"Way ahead of you." Tsunade replied before biting her right thumb. "Whatever you do, don't tell anyone, especially Naruto, about this." she added as she wiped the blood on her left palm, where an intricate seal suddenly appeared. The seal covered the palm of her entire hand, including the digits. After forming a few hand signs, she placed her hand on the table and an ornate golden box appeared in a puff of smoke. She opened up the box, revealing that it already has five scrolls in it, along with a strange-looking kunai under the lid. Tsunade moved the top two scrolls aside and sat Mikoto's scroll in the box. Afterwards, she shut the box, formed a few hand signs and touched the lid, making it vanish in a puff of smoke.

Shizune saw this all happened and was curious. "What was that about?" she asked.

Tsunade turned to her assistant and friend and smiled sadly. "Something Minato entrusted to me for Naruto." she replied. "He is not to know about the box until I deem him ready. That is what Minato told me."

Shizune nodded before looking at the sleeping Naruto, wondering when he'll learn of the box's existence.

xxxxx

Twelve weeks later, Tsunade and Shizune sat in Sarutobi's office with Yuki, Jiraiya and Hiruzen as the Fire Shadow debriefed the two kunoichis.

"So how did it go out there?" Hiruzen asked.

Tsunade smiled. "Naruto truly has a way with women, sensei. For some reason, the young women seemed to have taken a shine to him when we were in a small village to the east. Not sure why, though. Every time I asked, they always say that he's so cute and assumed that he was my son."

"Well, I got to admit that there are some similarities between the two of you." Jiraiya admitted. "Even though we know otherwise, some may think that you and Naruto are related."

"I have to agree with him." Yuki added. "I've noticed the similarities too, and it's a little eerie when you think about it. I have a theory on why that is."

"And what could that be, Yuki?" Tsunade asked, curious on what the vixen might know.

"Um, Yuki, are you sure you want to-" Jiraiya tried to say, but was interrupted.

"While you were gone, I contacted my superiors to see if Naruto has any living relatives. Ever since his sixth birthday, I've been seeing a change in his eyes." Yuki explained. "Naruto needs a family. Living with mine is okay, but he needs a real family. We can't adopt him; that much is certain. But if a living relative can be found, they could take him in. Look, I know it's a long shot, but the boy really needs a family."

Sarutobi nodded, agreeing with the vixen. Even he, whenever the boy visits him between errands, noticed the longing in his eyes. "And what did your superiors turn up?" he asked.

Yuki sighed. "They said that he has at least one living relative, but they have no idea who or where they are. One of them has a sister that can speak to one of the gods, but we've been out of touch with her for several years."

"How is she able to talk to a god?" Jiraiya asked.

"I'm not allowed to say, but I have been told to train Naruto in his family styles as soon as he is ready." Yuki replied, then got serious. "I also have some bad news. My superiors tell me that the other two maidens are about to fall and that Naruto will be severely devastated by it."

Tsunade gasped. She was the first jounin to ever train a kunoichi squad, with one of her students training the first, and so far only, kunoichi gennin squad. "Do you know when?" she asked.

Yuki shook her head. "I wish I did, but no. I was told that they would be protected, but it's no guarantee. Even my superiors can't work miracles."

Tsunade sighed. "I'll have to make sure that Naruto keeps me up to date on the news here, just in case I have to come back quickly." she said, but then sighed again. "There are times I wish I could learn Minato's jutsu."

"Well, if he was your real son, that might be a possibility." Jiraiya commented. "Then again, he may've made a jutsu just for you that's similar to his own if you would have asked. You know he would do anything for you, Tsunade."

Tsunade nodded as a tear slipped down her cheek. She then looked to her left and saw a picture of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, hanging on the wall. It was no secret that Tsunade and Minato really loved each other. Many assumed that they were related, only to be told otherwise as Minato was an orphan and Tsunade never had a son... at least, never had one that anyone but a few knew about. Another tear fell as she thought back to when she was sixteen. Somehow, she got pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy, but she ended up passing out before she could even name him. When she came to, her son was gone and she was told by her sensei's old teammate, Homura Mitokado, that he found her son dead not too long ago and refused to tell her where he was. Despite her condition, she wanted to find out herself and not from someone else. It took Jiraiya two months to soothe her as she mourned the loss of her son. It also took Jiraiya two months to soothe her as she mourned the loss of Minato nearly seven years ago. She was glad that he did because Hikari went into labor two weeks later, giving birth to Hinata.

Noticing her tears, Jiraiya walked over to her and asked, "Are you okay, friend?"

Tsunade looked up. Jiraiya never calls her friend unless he's about to ease her pain like he did when she lost someone close to her. "I'm fine, Jiraiya. Just remembering a heart that beat so close to mine."

Jiraiya sighed. He knew what that meant. Only one heart has beat so close to hers and no one else's heart has come close to beating that close again. "Anyway, how long until you think Naruto's ready to learn basic jutsu?" he asked.

"I'll begin his training tomorrow, along with the girls. I've put it off long enough and I know that they're more than ready for them." Yuki replied. "I'm just worried that Naruto may not be able to learn them. One of the requirements to graduate involves knowing those five jutsu."

"Sadly, the council believes that changing the Ninja Academy is unnecessary, especially when a lot of the civilians on the council have children attending or about to attend; though they did extend the period from three years to five so they would be better prepared to understand what it means to be a ninja." Sarutobi somberly informed them. "They also demanded that Naruto is not allowed to attend, fearing that he might corrupt the children or distract them from their learning. They may even attempt to hinder his learning."

"If they do, I'll put my fists to good use; cracking heads open!" Tsunade said heatedly as she looked extremely pissed.

"Stupid humans and their ignorance." Yuki growled. "No offense."

"None taken." said Jiraiya.

xxxxx

About two weeks later, Naruto sat at his desk, reading the scrolls Yuki gave him the day after he returned home. The scrolls contained the five basic jutsu that are taught at the Ninja Academy. Thanks to Tsunade, he learned that he will always have a problem controlling his chakra. She worked exclusively with him sometimes to correct this problem. She even gave him tips while they were apart, helping him harness and control his massive chakra stores. Before returning home, she tested him and said that he now has the control of an average gennin, since all he did this summer was focus on chakra control while working on his other studies and exercises.

He and the triplets started on the same jutsu: the Replacement Jutsu. It took them a few days to get it down. They were fortunate that they know about the twelve hand signs and can do them in any order quickly. Their top speed has been clocked at three signs a second, and since the Replacement Jutsu needs only five signs, it was easy for them to perform quickly.

They then worked on the next jutsu: the Transformation Jutsu. The vixens were able to get this in about a week, but Naruto was unable to pull it off without it seeming warped and deformed. Sure, the girls had noticable flaws, but not as bad as Naruto's. Yuki resolved that Naruto may not be able to learn it and worked towards finding a jutsu that he could learn. That's when he accidentally stumbled upon an improved version of it. He thought that he might not be using enough chakra and, since it was nighttime, asked Kushina if using more chakra would make it work. She answered with a shrug and when he tried it, he turned into a near perfect copy of Ginko. Tsuki nearly fainted when she saw the silver-haired vixens in Naruto's room, and even found out that the transformation seemed real instead of an illusion, like the jutsu should be. Yuki confirmed it by having Naruto and Kouen transform into her and discovered that it, indeed, was real. The next day, she asked Hikari and Mikoto to examine the jutsu themselves and haven't told Naruto of the results yet. She said that he can use it, but not to tell anyone about it. She then deemed it a forbidden jutsu because when Kouen, Ginko and Tsuki tried it, not only did they get it right, but it required a lot of youki, which made them a bit lightheaded from the high usage. He whined about it at first, but Yuki told him that she doesn't want her kits tired and defenseless by trying to use that jutsu when they can't handle it yet. He may be allowed to use it, but the girls aren't.

He and the girls are now working on the Clone Jutsu. They've also been working on something all foxes know while Kushina is secretly teaching him one of their clan's jutsu, after asking Hikari for a favor. He smiled. He was going to surprise Hinata when she sees what he can do. He was able to get the jutsu to work a few days ago and focused on perfecting his aim with it, reducing the noise it makes and adjusting its power and how that power is focused. A rather tall order, but Kushina believes that her son can handle it.

He was brought out of his reading and musing when the door opened, revealing Ginko in a large back t-shirt and shorts, like he and the other young vixens are usually dressed in when they're going to bed. "Still studying?" she asked as she looked over his shoulder.

Naruto nodded. "Ms. Shizune said that there might be some jutsu out there that I can't learn. The Transformation Jutsu being a good example." he said.

"But you were able to get it right eventually." she pointed out.

"But your mother said that it was a different jutsu. That's why she made it forbidden for anyone but me." he corrected her.

Ginko held her hands up in defense as she smiled. "Okay, okay, I believe you." she said. She then looked over his shoulder again and saw what he was studying. "The Clone Jutsu? Kouen, Tsuki and I are about ready to try it out. You?"

"The same." he replied. "We can do it after class tomorrow. I also want to show you and the girls something cool as well."

"Such as?" she asked coyly.

Naruto gave her a look that said, "I'm not saying." She responded by brushing her tail under his chin. She smiled in amusement as his eyes glazed over a little bit, but he wasn't going to fall for it this time. She would sometimes do this to get him to spill whatever he was hiding from her. It works sometimes and when it does, he spills it all.

Suddenly, Naruto swiftly grabbed her tail. "Don't do that or no tickling before breakfast for a week." he told her, a hard glare on his face.

Ginko flinched from the glare and dropped her ears. "Okay." she pouted.

He let go of her tail and rolled up the scroll. "Good." he said. "You need to stop trying to pry secrets from me. They're called secrets for a reason, Ginko." He wasn't really angry at her, just mad that she tried to use her natural charm to get him to tell her something that he's keeping from her.

Ginko nodded before they both crawled into bed. After making sure that there are no hidden cameras or the vixens hiding somewhere in the room, they pulled each other close and fell straight to sleep, Ginko's tail curled around Naruto's waist.

xxxxx

A/N: And here's chapter five. This one was a tough one to write. Had a rather long writer's block on this one. Unlike my other chapters, this doesn't include content from this time in the previous version of the story. Must be why I had such a hard time getting over that writer's block.

This chapter has some fluff between Naruto and the girls, but not enough to be called true fluff. Sure, kisses on the cheek, hugs and sleeping together does count, but this is simple things that kids do all the time. I mean, kids sometimes sleep with their parents or older siblings if they're scared or don't want to be alone at night. Little kids have a habit of hugging, especially girls. And some little girls have a habit of giving kisses on the cheek as a way of saying thank you. Some find these cute, sweet or otherwise. I see it as a way for Naruto to grow, learn and to experience strong friendships that will last a lifetime.

One more thing. Usually, I introduced Naruto's Transformation Jutsu much later, around eleven or twelve, but I wanted him to have at least three jutsu by the time he enters the academy. And as the title states, lots of secrets have been somewhat revealed. When they'll be unveiled is for me to know and for you to wait until next time. As always, ready and review. All flames shall go to super ice research. They're creating special ice that's harder to melt. That's what I've heard, anyway.

Response Corner:

the TimeDrifter: To be honest, I already knew that. However, while I was looking to translate Shukaku, I turned up nothing. Once I read your review, it got me thinking. I realized that I translated it wrong.

From what I turned up from the manga, the anime and from what I've read in other fics, Shukaku goes by three names: Ichibi no Shukaku, Suna no Shukaku and Ichibi no Tanuki. Out of these three, one of them is fake. Each one translates into Shukaku the One-Tailed, Shukaku of the Sand and the One-Tailed Raccoon Dog. Since we all know that raccoon dogs have one tail anyways, why on earth would Shukaku be referred to as a one-tailed raccoon dog when they have one tail to begin with? This piece of logical evidence points to the name 'Ichibi no Tanuki' being the fake. Suna no Shukaku isn't the fake because Gamabunta called him that before they fought. Ichibi no Shukaku isn't the fake because I remember seeing a post timeskip episode that mentioned his name. Can't remember which, but it was the tenth season. At first, I thought it meant 'One-Tailed Shukaku', but realized, thanks to your review, that it truly meant 'Shukaku the One-Tailed'. I have went back and changed it to what it truly means.

Sorry for it being so long, but your review did bring up a good point. Thank you for pointing that out to me.

Gravity The Wizard: No, Hinata was there. Read the conversation between Kushina and Yuki. Kushina will mention both Hinata and Ginko.

Next Time: Naruto Uzumaki, welcome to the Ninja Academy.

Later!


	6. Arc 1 Chapter 6

**The Kitsune and the Neko**

"Talking"  
'Thoughts'  
**Demon/Deity/Dire Beast  
**_Flashback/Mind Link_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Arc 1: The Early Years  
Chapter 6: The Ninja Academy and the Maidens' Fall**

The next morning, Naruto woke up to his normal morning routine. He would gaze at Ginko's sleeping form until she woke up, then either tickle her ears or pass his hand through her hair, much to her enjoyment. After that, they would get up, hug and get ready for the day. Today, however, is a little different. Today is Naruto's first day at the Ninja Academy and, thanks to the Hokage, the sisters are able to tag along. Yuki still refuses to have her kits become kunoichi of a village that wants nothing more than to kill their closest friend. But that doesn't mean that they couldn't learn from those who have experience out in the field and have decided to dedicate themselves to teaching the next generation of shinobi.

After their morning workout and breakfast, the three sisters shifted into their true forms and hopped into their mother's arms, or Naruto's in Ginko's case. It's no secret that Naruto knows a trio of foxes. He's been seen by many villagers with either one or all three sisters in their true form during his errands for the Hokage. Those who know who the foxes are sometimes wave at them while many others scowl and sneer at them. Normally, the Ninja Academy doesn't allow pets, but the Inuzuka clan are allowed to take their partners with them. Thanks to a letter from the Hokage and Tsume Inuzuka, who Naruto and the vixens have had the pleasure of meeting on a few occasions, the young blond is allowed to bring the young kitsunes with him to the academy.

After making sure that they haven't forgotten anything, Yuki, Naruto and the triplets head out to their destination.

xxxxx

Iruka Umino sat at his desk as he observed the students he will be teaching for the next five years. Like many chūnin, he is dressed in the standard chūnin attire with his chūnin vest. He's quite young for his occupation of academy instructor, being in his late teens. His brown eyes looked over the list of the forty-six students he has while scratching the bridge of his nose, which has a long, horizontal cut across it. His brown hair is pulled into a pineapple-tail and his forehead bore the headband used by all leaf ninjas to show that they are indeed ninjas of the Leaf Village.

He noticed that out of the many civilians that are in his class, he has seven ninja clan heirs and an orphan rumored to be the descendant of a powerful shinobi. Starting from the left side of the room, he can see an Aburame sitting next to an Akimichi and a Nara. Looking up a few rows, he can see a Yamanaka conversing with a girl with pink hair, which he assumed is Sayuki Haruno's daughter. He knows of only one woman who has such a hair color. Up a row from them is a Hyuuga talking to a blond-haired boy with three whisker-like marks on his cheeks and three oddly-colored fox kits. He was informed by the Hokage that one of his students will be bringing a trio of foxes with him. Immediately, he recognized the boy as Naruto Uzumaki. He, like many others, know the truth behind the village's animosity towards the boy. But from what he saw before him, there was nothing to worry about from him. He also heard some of the other instructors demand that he not be allowed to attend, but the Hokage insisted that he attend. He was glad that the boy was put in his class. If the other instructors didn't want him here, they would most likely try to have him either expelled or fail just to remove him from the academy.

'Good thing I made that known.' he mused to himself. Shaking those thought out of his head, he focused on the right side of the classroom, where he only saw two of the seven clan heirs. One of them is an Inuzuka. He suppressed a sigh. He heard that Inuzuka males are quite rowdy, having the pleasure of meeting a few when he went with an old friend of his to the vet. He then focused on the second heir, who is an Uchiha. From what he could see, the boy seemed to focus more on staring out the window, seemingly ignoring the world around him, than trying to make friends.

Iruka decided that now was a good time to start class. He stood up from his chair and cleared his throat, which only got a few of the students' attention. He tried again and got a few more, but most of them, mainly the civilian children, still conversed amongst themselves. He then sighed before using a jutsu that has never failed in getting the attention of even very rowdy students. His head suddenly grew in size and changed to that of an oni. After a brief yell, everyone took their seats and listened, effectively scared witless. Even the three fox kits were a little shaken. 'Works every time.' he mentally chuckled. His Big Oni Head Jutsu always got the students' attention. "Welcome to your first day at the Ninja Academy. My name is Iruka Umino, but you will call me Iruka-sensei. Is that understood?" he said.

"Yes, Iruka-sensei." said the whole class.

"Very good. Now, today we'll simply introduce ourselves and learn what all I'll be teaching you for the next five years." Iruka explained. "All I really need is your name, a few likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams for the future and, my personal favorite, what kind of ninja you want to be. Simple as that." He briefly paused. "Oh, before I forget. No more than three likes, dislikes, hobbies or dreams. Don't want to be here all day, right?" A few in the class chuckled at that. "Okay, when I call your name, you may begin. Remember, you can say as much as you want, but you have to mention at least one like and one dislike." He then picked up a clipboard, which contained his attendance sheet. "Shino Aburame."

Sitting next to Shikamaru, Shino stood up. As usual, he's dressed in a beige jacket with the hood down, showing his short brown hair, black ninja pants and blue ninja sandals. He also wears stunna shades to conceal his eyes. "My name is Shino Aburame. I like insects, mostly beetles, I dislike those who harm insects and I want to be a tracker ninja." he said before sitting down.

Naruto lazily gazed at his friend. 'Typical Shino. Only saying what is needed, nothing more.' he thought to himself. He can hear Tsunade agree with him through their mental link.

Iruka nodded as he marked Shino as present. "Chouji Akimichi."

Sitting on the other side of Shikamaru, Chouji stood up. He's garbed in a white shirt with a light green jacket, dark blue ninja pants and blue ninja sandals. "My name is Chouji Akimichi. I like food, I dislike those who call me fat, my hobbies are cooking and working out and I want to be a ninja chef." He then sat back down.

A few names later... "Sakura Haruno."

Sitting on the left side of Ino, Sakura stood up and smiled. She's dressed in a light pink t-shirt, light red shorts and blue ninja sandals. "My name is Sakura Haruno. I like flowers and cooking, I dislike bullies, my hobbies are cooking and gardening and I want to be a medical ninja like Lady Tsunade."

After she sat back down, Iruka marked Sakura as present. "Hinata Hyuuga."

Sitting on the right side of Naruto, holding Kouen in her arms, Hinata stood up, smiled and blushed a little. As always, she's dressed in a midnight blue ninja shirt and pants, a mesh undershirt and blue ninja sandals. "Um, my name is Hinata Hyuuga. I like cinnamon rolls, tigers and foxes, I dislike ignorance and arrogance, my hobbies are cooking, gardening and dancing with my friends and I also want to be a medical ninja like Lady Tsunade." She then sat back down and resumed her petting of the red-furred vixen.

A couple of names later... "Kiba Inuzuka."

Sitting on the right side of the room, opposite of Naruto and his friends, a boy stood up with shaggy brown hair, slitted brown eyes and a pair of red fang-like marks on his cheeks. He's dressed in a gray t-shirt, black ninja pants and blue ninja sandals. "My name is Kiba Inuzuka. I like dogs, I dislike cats and foxes and I want to be a tracker ninja." he said before sitting back down.

Naruto and the vixens looked at the boy and thought, 'Not too surprised coming from an Inuzuka male. Lady Tsume and Ms. Hana did say that most of them are loud and untamed. Not to mention that most of them, but them, hates cats and foxes.'

'Then again, they did say that there's another that thinks like they do. I wonder who?' Naruto wondered.

_"I'll tell you when you're older." Tsunade said to him, hearing his mental question._

Naruto tuned back in when he heard Iruka say, "Shikamaru Nara."

Sighing, Shikamaru lazily stood up. He's garbed in a gray shirt, dark green ninja pants and blue ninja sandals. "My name is Shikamaru Nara. I like to watch the clouds and I dislike troublesome people." he said, then sat back down and laid his head down, mumbling how much of a drag this is.

Kouen, Sakura, Naruto and Ino shook their heads. 'So lazy.' they thought to themselves.

Several names later... "Sasuke Uchiha."

Sitting on the right side of the room, a row up from where Kiba is sitting, a boy stood up with short jet-black hair and coal black eyes wearing a dark blue t-shirt with a white and red fan emblem on the back, gray shorts and blue ninja sandals. "I am Sasuke Uchiha. I like training, I dislike people who get on my nerves and I want to be as great a ninja as my brother." he said before sitting back down.

Holding Ginko in his arms, Naruto looked at the boy as he petted the silver vixen, much to her delight. 'So that's Lady Mikoto's other son. He's not like Itachi, at least in the personality department.' he mused. He then wondered if the boy would accept him as a friend.

His musing was interrupted when Iruka said his name. Putting Ginko down, who pouted a bit from the loss of comfort, he stood up and cleared his throat. He's wearing a black t-shirt, dark orange shorts, dark orange wristbands, black ninja sandals and a dark orange outdoor vest with the top part being black. He got this outfit yesterday at the Kazama Armory as well as a few other things he'll need to train with. The silver locket that he received for his sixth birthday is still around his neck. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I like the forest, foxes and slugs, I dislike arrogance, ignorance and snakes, my hobbies are drawing, gardening and playing in the rain and I want to be a great ninja like my parents." He then sat back down, pulled Ginko back into his arms and resumed her petting session. Ginko, for her part, purred in delight as she snuggled up to him.

A few more names later... "Ino Yamanaka."

Sitting on the right side of Sakura, Ino stood up and smiled. She's dressed in a light pink t-shirt, white shorts and blue ninja sandals. "My name is Ino Yamanaka. I like flowers and butterflies, I dislike bullies and those who destroy flowers, my hobbies are gardening, cooking and dancing and I want to be a medical genjutsu user."

Iruka nodded as he marked Ino as present. "Very good. Now, from this point on, our class schedule will be like this. First, I'll be teaching you mathematics, science, social studies, the language arts and all about ninjas and the ninja lifestyle. After that, it's off to lunch. Next, we'll be doing various exercises outside. All ninjas need to stay in shape, both physically and mentally. After we come back in, it's back to the classroom to learn more about the earlier subjects. Just so you know, we'll be doing math and science in the morning, social studies and the language arts in the afternoon and learning about ninjas inbetween. Some of the things you'll be learning is hand-to-hand combat, survival skills and reconnaissance just to name a few. It may sound like a lot now, but you'll be surprised how much can be done in a span of seven hours. Now, does anyone have any questions before we start?"

A random civilian girl raised her hand. After Iruka pointed to her, she asked, "What kind of ninja are you?"

"Well, I am your typical ninja who has no specialties. I'm basically good at all things, but not great in anything. However, being a teacher is where I really shine, which is why I'm here." Iruka answered.

Sakura then raised her hand. "How did you make your head look like an oni?" she asked.

"That I cannot tell you, for a ninja must never reveal their secrets." Iruka replied, then used a genjutsu to make his eyes flash red for an instant. He started to laugh a little when he saw some of the students freak out. "You'll figure it out as you learn from me. For now, don't worry about it."

Then, another random girl raised her hand. "Why does he get to bring his pets with him and can I bring mine too?" she asked, pointing at Naruto.

Iruka looked at Naruto and said, "Well, they're not very fond of staying home without him and the Hokage has allowed him to bring them along with him." he replied. "As for bringing your pet... well, I don't think so. Naruto's foxes are here to help him as a ninja, correct?" Naruto nodded, as did the three vixens. "Okay, so he is allowed to bring them, as he is training them to assist him in battle. This is not uncommon as many ninjas do the same thing: raise companions to help them in their ninja careers."

Seeing that no one else has anymore questions, Iruka said, "Okay then, let's begin with your first lesson."

xxxxx

After the first half of class was over, it was off to lunch, and the gang were under a tree, sitting in the shade.

"So tell me, how did you pull this one off?" Shikamaru asked Naruto.

Knowing exactly what he's talking about, Naruto smiled and said, "I've talked to the Hokage and asked if they could come with me to the academy. Ms. Yuki doesn't want them being ninjas for... well, you know. Anyway, he and Lady Tsume found a way to allow me to bring them, as they are now considered ninja foxes."

"More like ninja vixens." Ino added, petting Tsuki as she sat comfortably on her lap.

**"It's a good thing we can stay like this all day, though we don't prefer to."** said Kouen as she rested near Shino.

Ginko nodded from her place on Hinata's shoulder. **"All we can't do is talk, and that's a real bummer."** she said with a frown.

"I agree with them." said Shino. "If they find out that you can talk, who knows what could happen."

"Nothing good, no doubt." Chouji added.

**"Then we'll need to find another way to communicate."** Tsuki purred, due to Ino's petting.

"That's a good idea." Hinata nodded. "But the question is: what?"

Everyone pondered on that until Naruto heard Tsunade speak in his head. _"Perhaps I might know of a way."_

_"I'm all ears, Tsunade."_

_"Try asking Hikari if she can teach Yuki the Mind Link Jutsu. Then have her teach the rest of you when you are ready for it." the medical sannin suggested. "That jutsu is very advanced, a B-rank if I remember correctly. Most likely, you and Ino might be able to learn it in a few years and the others about a year or two later, though I'm only guessing."_

_"Why's that?" Naruto asked._

_"Like I said, it's a B-rank jutsu, meaning that it's a jounin level technique. It uses less chakra than most jutsu of that ranking, but it's difficult to learn and master." Tsunade explained. "The only reason I said that you and Ino can do it is because Ino is from the Yamanaka clan, who specialize in mind techniques, and thanks to your necklace, you have a telepathic link with me and Kushina. Because of this, you and Ino will have an easier time learning this jutsu than the others. Do you understand?"_

_"I do now. Thanks." Naruto replied._ "I think I know of a way."

"What is it?" Chouji asked.

"Hinata, doesn't your mom know of a jutsu that can link someone's mind to another?" Naruto asked the young Hyuuga girl.

"Now that you've mentioned it, yes she does." Hinata replied.

"Ask her if she can teach it to Ms. Yuki, who will teach it to us when we're ready." Naruto suggested.

"What do you mean 'when we're ready'?" Ino asked.

"Well, if it's what I think it is, then it will be very difficult to learn." Hinata explained. "Mother told me that the jutsu is a high level one that took her over a month to learn, and that was fifteen years ago."

"So it's most likely a B-rank jutsu." Shikamaru surmised. "Such a jutsu would take us years to learn right now."

The others nodded, agreeing with the Nara boy.

xxxxx

Later, after dinner, Naruto was meditating as he spoke to Kushina.

_"So, how was your first day at the academy, son?" Kushina asked._

_"It was a little boring, but I learned a lot." Naruto replied._

_"Did you make any new friends?" she asked._

_"No. I tried to with Lady Mikoto's younger son, Sasuke, but an adult shooed me away." he replied._

_"Hmm... looks like they don't want you talking to him." Kushina spoke in a thinking tone. "It might be for the best. His father and I don't exactly get along."_

_"What do you mean?" he asked._

_"It's another one of those things that I'll tell you when you're older." she replied._

_Naruto sighed. Kushina would sometimes refuse to answer a question he has, stating that he was either too young or that she'll tell him when he is able to truly handle it._

_"Something on your mind, sweeite?" Kushina gently asked him._

_Naruto sighed again before he responded, "It's just... you're always keeping secrets from me. Why won't you tell me? I can handle it, I promise!"_

_"Naruto, you know that I love you, right?" she asked._

_"Of course."_

_"Then know that what I'm doing is for your own good. If I don't want to tell you something, then I have a good reason. Do you understand?" Naruto nodded. "Remember, your father and I have a lot of enemies, even within the village. I don't want you to know about them just yet. But I will tell you this. There is a reason why many of the villagers hate you. I can't tell you because you won't be able to mentally handle it. I know that Tsunade will take you with her if you were to ask, but you have friends here and leaving them behind would hurt them as well as yourself. I promise that once you're older, I won't hide the truth from you anymore. I will tell you about your father, our clan, why the village hates you and anything else you want to know. When that day comes, there will be no more secrets between us. I promise on my love for you and your father, Naruto."_

_Naruto smiled as tears trailed down his cheeks. "Okay, Mommy. I'll wait until you're ready to tell me." he said._

_"That's my boy." she said with a smile. "Now, I believe a certain vixen is about to enter your room." She giggled when her son blushed._

_"Speaking of which, can I take Hinata and Ginko to your garden?" he asked._

_Kushina remained silent as she thought it over. She knows that Naruto knows the way to it as she spoke to him while he was there many times. She wanted it to stay their little secret. But after seeing how close the two girls are to her son, she believed that a little matchmaking is in order. 'And what better place than my garden.' she thought to herself. "On two conditions, Naruto. I want you to make them promise not to tell anyone, not even their mothers or sisters, about that garden. It is a very special place to our family and I want it to stay that way." Naruto nodded. "Also, I want you take them on a picnic there. And if you want, tell them about me and how we met last year."_

_"What if they don't believe me?" Naruto asked her._

_"They'll believe you. Trust me." Kushina replied._

_Naruto nodded, but then heard the door open._ Opening his eyes, he saw Ginko peek her head in. "You still awake?" she asked.

Naruto nodded before he stood up. "I have a surprise for you." he said with a smile.

"Really? What is it?" she asked.

"You'll see this weekend, Ginko." he replied before grabbing her arms and pulling her with him towards his bed.

Ginko blushed before she smiled, used her tail to close the door, and then crawled into bed with him. "Naruto, remember the time we played House?"

"Yeah."

Ginko blushed a little brighter. "Well, I kinda like it when you play the daddy and I play the mommy." she admitted.

Naruto blushed as he looked at her. "Really? Hinata said the same thing a few days ago." he said.

After shaking their blushes away, they pulled each other close and went to sleep.

xxxxx

Naruto woke up to the sound of singing. Opening his eyes, he saw his mother holding him close. Whenever he visited her in his dreams, she always wore the same thing: a dark blue top, black wristbands, dark blue cargo shorts or pants with two dark orange stripes running down the leg and black sandals. Tonight, she's wearing shorts.

"Okay, son. You ready for your training?" Kushina asked him.

"Absolutely!" he exclaimed, but then added in a much softer voice, "Although I don't mind staying right here." He then snuggled up to her more.

Kushina smiled warmly at her son. Ever since his sixth birthday, she's been trying her best to make up for lost time. She also taught him everything he needed to know and then some. Only after Tsunade brought him back did she begin teaching him their clan jutsu and fighting styles.

_In Hikari's private study, Naruto, Hinata and Ginko were sitting on her lap as she told them about a mission her squad went on that got a little 'messy'. The three kids laughed as she told them how awful it was to be covered in stinky slime._

_After it was over, the girls went to Hinata's room before they would all go to the park. Once the girls were gone, Naruto tugged on Hikari's kimono to get her attention. "What is it, Naruto?" she asked in her usual kind and sweet voice._

_"Um, Mommy wanted to know if you could check my chakra to find my element." Naruto asked her. Several months ago, Kushina told him to tell both Hikari and Mikoto that he can speak to her at night._

_Hikari blinked and then raised her eyebrow. "Why does she want to know?" she wondered. Naruto shrugged, causing her to frown. "Well, okay." she said before motioning for him to sit on her lap. Once he was comfortable, she pulled him close. "Now, I want you to relax, okay?" Naruto nodded as Hikari flew through a few hand signs. "Eight Trigrams: Elemental Vision." Suddenly, the kanji for sight appeared on the back of her right hand. Hikari placed her hand on Naruto's forehead and watched as the seal glowed pale lavender while her daughter's friend slipped into a trance. It only lasted for a few moments before the glow faded. When Hikari looked at her hand, she saw that there were various kanji written on her fingertips. Her pinky has the kanji for fire. Her ring finger has the kanji for earth. Her middle finger has the kanji for wind. Her index finger has the kanji for water. And her thumb has the kanji for lightning. Her index, middle and pinky fingers glowed and she even saw the kanji for steam and ice written on her palm. Hikari raised her eyebrow. "Interesting."_

_"What?" Naruto asked her._

_Hikari smiled warmly at him. "Naruto, tell your mother that you have five elements: fire, wind, water, steam and ice. She'll know what that means." she said. "Oh, and don't tell anyone else. This will be our little secret." She winked, causing him to smile and nod._

Since then, she knew exactly what to teach him. She was a little saddened that he couldn't learn her wood style jutsu, but she will find a way for him to someday. "Naruto, not that I mind spending an entire night cuddling with you, but you need to get to training."

Naruto pouted, but nodded and hopped out of his mother's warm embrace. Once Naruto was a fair distance away, he surveyed the area. His mindscape, as Kushina calls it, consists of a massive field surrounded by trees. Flower patches can be found in areas that they didn't train in and were reserved for relaxation. There is also a small cottage for the two of them. Kushina even taught him how to enter his mindscape without falling asleep. Inside the cottage is everything the family would ever need in such a place, including a bedroom for each of them, though they would sometimes sleep together or they would sleep outside on one of the hammocks in the relaxation areas.

Once Kushina walked over to him, she said, "Okay Naruto, from the top." He nodded before going through a series of movements at a slow pace. For the past couple of weeks, Kushina has begun his training in their clan's main fighting style: the Flowing Fist. The style itself focuses on evasion and maneuverability while landing quick, powerful strikes that are difficult to dodge and or predict. To fully utilize the style, one must have above average stamina and chakra reserves, something that all Uzumakis have. Also, one must be flexible to be able to go through all nineteen katas of the style. She said to him that girls have an easier time learning this style than boys because they are more flexible, though there have been male masters of the style. Naruto showed that he is quite flexible, thanks to his training under the vixens and Tsunade.

So far, he has mastered the first two katas and is currently working on the third. She told him that he must practice these katas until they become second nature before she would teach him the next one. She was surprised that he could get one completely down in about a week, though she remembered that her husband was a fast learner as well. She was even able to teach him a jutsu and said that once he mastered it, she'll teach him another one. Also, he is not allowed to use it outside of training until she said otherwise. He got the jutsu down and is currently working on adjusting it and learning how to do its two variants.

After two hours of practicing the three katas that he knows, Kushina told him to stop. "Okay. Next lesson." She pulled out a shuriken and lightly threw it in front of him. Mindscape or not, they were able to bring real physics to the world. Even though he can't do physical training here, he could still practice taijutsu here, though he'll need to put in the same amount of effort in the real world as well.

Looking at the throwing star, which is circling around him, Naruto pointed his right finger at it and said, "Finger Shot!" His finger flared briefly before a loud bang was heard and a small explosion was seen on the shuriken a split second later.

Kushina extended her hand and made the shuriken hover. "Focus, Naruto. Muffle the bang... it could give away your position." she said.

Naruto nodded before he aimed his finger at the hovering ninja tool. Focusing his chakra, he used the Finger Shot again. This time, the bang was quieter, but still loud.

They kept this up for thirty minutes. He was able to get the bang to be much quieter, though it took him ten minutes to get it that low. Before, it took him fifteen minutes and it was hard for him to do. As he kept doing it, it became easier and easier.

"Okay, that's good. Now for the next set." Kushina said before she waved her hand, summoning a target board ten feet in front of her son.

Naruto aimed his finger at it and fired. After five rapid shots, Kushina would rate his accuracy, then moved the board back a few feet. They continued this until it was thirty feet from him, which she figured out was his maximum range.

Dismissing the target board, she checked the numbers and did the math, coming up with her son's current accuracy. "Okay, your current accuracy is seventy-six percent, two percent higher than yesterday. The further away your target is from you, the less accurate you are. Not too surprising, really." she said. "Now for the next set."

Naruto nodded before snapping his fingers. Looking at his thumb, he saw that a small flame sat on the tip. Kushina told him that this was the candle variant of the Finger Shot. Even if she herself couldn't learn it doesn't mean that she didn't know others who have.

Seeing the flame on her son's finger, Kushina created a candle and handed it to her son, who proceed it to light it. Once he lit it, she created another five feet away from him. With his thumb sticking up, he pointed his index finger at the candle's wick. Focusing a little more, the flame on his thumb went out and another one appeared on his index finger. Concentrating more on his accuracy, Naruto fired the small flame at the candle. It traveled at a moderate speed, unlike before where they traveled at the speed of sound. Once it hit the wick, it instantly lit.

Kushina nodded. "Very good. Next." She then summoned a pile of wood ten feet away from him.

Snapping his hands again, he summoned another flame onto his thumb. This time, he pointed his index and middle fingers upward, then focused. A few seconds later, the flame disappeared, onlt to reappear on both fingers. Taking a deep breath, he blew on the flame, causing it to become a flamethrower as it streaked towards the wood, catching it on fire. Sadly, Naruto's blaze only lasted a couple of seconds, but it did set the wood on fire.

Kushina nodded. "Well done, though next time, try not to blow so hard."

Naruto nodded. Kushina then pulled out another shuriken and threw it, and Naruto shot at it, repeating what they just did all over again.

xxxxx

Several days later, Naruto woke up with a huge smile on his face. It's Saturday and he's going on a picnic with Hinata and Ginko. He asked them three days ago, saying that the place he's taking them to is both a surprise and very peaceful. He made them promise not to tell anyone where they're going for it is very special to him and he doesn't want anyone ruining it.

Opening his eyes, he saw Ginko, still sleeping, with a big smile on her face. As he waited for her to awaken, he passed his hand through her hair, inducing a moan from the vixen and for her to move closer to him. The silver fox-girl snuggled up to him, even after she woke up. Still smiling, she licked his cheek, causing him to chuckle. They stayed that way for several minutes before finally getting up and getting ready.

xxxxx

Elsewhere, another person woke up with a big smile on their face. Hinata opened her eyes, only to be greeted by her twenty-month-old sister, Hanabi. The six-year-old girl would occasionally sleep with her, as she seemed to enjoy her company. What made her even happier was that she said her first word a few weeks ago, and that was sis.

As Hinata gazed at her sleeping sister, she remembered that it was Saturday. Her smile grew bigger. She was going on a picnic with her two best friends. She felt so excited, but at the same time, she felt very nervous. Lately, she felt a type of pulling feeling when she's around Naruto. She doesn't understand why, but she found many of his qualities to be very appealing. She would sometimes blush when he hugged her and she would find herself tempted to kiss him when they were alone. She doesn't know why, but she figured that only one person would know.

As if summoned by her thoughts, said person slipped into her room and walked over to her bed.

Hikari smiled at her two daughters and said, "Good morning, Hinata. Are you ready for your picnic with Naruto and Ginko later?"

Hinata nodded with a blush. She then sighed and decided to ask her mother for advice. "Mother, I need your advice on something very personal." she shyly said.

Hikari blinked, but then understood. She flashed through a few hand signs and muttered, "Sound Suppression Jutsu." The walls glowed green for a moment before Hikari sat down on the bed, being careful not to wake up Hanabi. "There, whatever is said shall stay between us, okay?" Hinata nodded with a smile as she sat up and handed Hanabi to Hikari.

Hinata leaned into her mother's arms, letting the feeling of endless, unconditional love wash over her. "Mother, I need your advice on my feelings toward Naruto." she said, her cheeks tinted pink.

Hikari raised her eyebrow. 'Ah, so she's finally taken an interest in him. Let's see how deep it is.' she mused before asking, "Okay, sweetie. First, tell me what you feel when you're with him."

"Well, when I'm with him, I feel so happy that I always want to stay near him. He's funny, considerate, caring, gentle and... very handsome." she began, that last part barely above a whisper. "I feel like I can do anything and I don't feel as nervous as I was before. And when we're alone, I feel a pulling sensation right here." She put her right hand over her heart to show where she feels that sensation. "Mother, what does it all mean?"

Hikari blinked as she took in the information. 'I can't believe it. Almost seven years old and already she has fallen in love.' she thought, then smiled. 'I'm not sure if she's ready to hear it, but it's worth a try.' "Hinata, I recognize these feelings you're having. Would you like to know what they are?" Hinata nodded. "Are you sure? This is something I haven't planned on telling you about for another few years." She nodded again, wanting to know about these feelings toward her best friend. "Okay, sweetie. I'll tell you." She paused so she can bring her daughter closer to her. "Are you familiar with love?" She nodded. "Well, this is what you're feeling for him. When I'm with your father, I feel the same thing you do when you're with Naruto. I also feel the same way about his father, but not at the same level as I do my husband. You see, I fell in love with your father when I was in my teens, even though I knew Naruto's father since I was a little girl. In fact, I've known him since I was four years old." Hikari smiled as she looked up, remembering a young blond boy that's strikingly similar to Naruto. "He and I became fast friends and then best friends soon after. He would always protect me from all the bullies at the academy, the park and on our route home. He was such a cute boy back then. Even now, I still wonder why I never dated him. He then told me when we were thirteen that he loved me, but was not in love with me. He basically saw me as his younger sister, since he is a few months older than I am. Of course, I was a little torn, but then I realized why we never dated. We were siblings in all but blood." Hikari then looked down at her eldest daughter, still smiling. "Hinata, I believe that these feelings his father and I have for each other have been inherited by you and Naruto. However, unlike ours, yours are stronger. I think... no, I know that you're in love with my best friend's son."

Hinata's eyes widened as the information sunk in. 'I'm in love with Naruto?' she thought with a huge blush. "B-But how? W-We're-"

"I know what you're about to say, my little sunshine." Hikari interrupted. "Yes, it is unusual for love to sprout at such a young age, but it is possible. My advice is to wait until you're ready to tell him about your feelings. However, I suggest that you don't wait too long or he may fall for someone else. If that happens, you'll forever regret not telling him sooner." She then ran her fingers through her hair. "You've been his best friend for over a year now. This puts you at a good standing with him. I suggest that you find out what his feelings are towards you before you tell him about your own."

"When is the best time to tell him?" Hinata asked.

"I would say during the picnic, but Ginko will be there too." Hikari frowned a little, but then felt Hanabi squirming in her arms. "I think you should wait until you two are alone. As for Ginko, I have a sneaking suspicion that she likes him as well. If you can, pull her away and talk to her about her feelings towards Naruto, but don't hint about your own. There's a chance that she might get jealous."

"Jealous?" Hinata gasped.

Hikari nodded. "Sometimes, even the best of friends can be torn apart if you put something between them. In this case, a boy. For example, if you and Ginko share the same feelings for Naruto, then the two of you might start fighting for his attention. Also, the three of you are close friends, so this could end up separating all three of you." she explained.

Hinata paled. She didn't want that to happen. "No! I don't want to lose them!"

"Then you know what you must do." said Hikari. Hinata nodded.

xxxxx

Hours later, Hikari, her two daughters and two branch house guards are walking towards the park, where they know that Yuki, Ginko and Naruto are waiting. In Hinata's hands is a picnic basket full of various goodies that she and her mother prepared earlier, along with a special surprise her father suggested. Once they got there, they were greeted by the two vixens and Naruto. After the young trio gave little Hanabi a hug, they strolled into the forest side by side, each one holding a picnic basket.

Once they were out of sight, Hikari turned to Yuki and asked, "Any idea where they're going?"

Yuki shook her head. "Tsuki and I have asked many times and he refuses to tell us."

Hikari blinked. "What about Ginko?" She knew that the silver fox-girl has a knack for getting information out of the young blond.

"Ginko told me that he would stop tickling her ears before breakfast for a week if she did." Hikari winced a little. She knew how much the young vixens loved having their ears scratched or tickled, especially by Naruto. "Yeah, I know. He said that he doesn't like her trying to pry secrets from him."

"When was this?" Hikari wondered.

"The night before the academy started." Yuki replied. "Since then, she stopped asking."

Hikari shook her head. "Naruto's too kindhearted to get mad at her, but that won't stop him from putting his point across." Yuki nodded in agreement.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, Naruto, Hinata and Ginko were also chatting amongst themselves while the blond guided them to their destination.

"Naruto, I've noticed some of the teachers scowling at us. Why is that?" Ginko asked.

"I don't know. I mean, it's the first time we met them." Naruto replied.

"I've noticed it too." Hinata added. "It looked like they hated you two and the other vixens, but why? You've never done anything wrong."

"I don't know." Ginko lied. She knew it was because of the Nine-Tailed Fox attacking seven years ago, but she didn't want to say anything.

"Could it be because of the attack?" Hinata wondered.

"What attack?" Naruto asked her, feigning ignorance.

"Well, Mother said that the village was attacked by the Nine-Tailed Fox almost seven years ago." Hinata explained. "She told me that the Fourth Hokage was able to defeat the demon, but she didn't say how."

"Okay, so what does that have to do with the village's hatred of me?" Naruto asked her.

Hinata frowned a little and shrugged. She is well aware of the glares Naruto receives when he is doing his errands. Her mother even told her of the night Yuki found him as well as the chronic nightmares he suffered from for a month. After she was told that, she hugged Naruto in tears when she saw him again. That's when she promised to always be there for him.

"Perhaps it's the fact that people has seen you with us." Ginko surmised.

"You're probably right." Naruto nodded, then looked ahead and said, "We're almost there."

A few more moments of walking and the girls were treated to a wonderful sight.

"It's so beautiful!" said Hinata as she looked around. "It's like it came out of a dream."

"Naruto, when did you find this place?" Ginko asked him.

"Later, girls." he replied. "First, let's find a good spot for our picnic."

Ginko and Hinata nodded before they all looked around. After a minute, they settled under an apple tree. Kushina told Naruto that she and her husband planted a few after they were engaged.

Naruto sat his basket down and pulled out a scroll. Unfurling it, he channeled some chakra onto the first of three seals and a picnic blanket appeared. "Master Jiraiya taught me about basic sealing during the summer." he explained as he spread the blanket out.

After they emptied the baskets of the food, flatware and hollowware, the trio formed a hand sign and said, "Release." In a puff of smoke, all three of them were in different outfits. Naruto's now garbed in a black kimono and hakuma set with a white sash, a white haori and straw sandals. Hinata's now garbed in a lavender kimono with a dark lavender obi and lavender formal shoes. Ginko's now garbed in a sky-blue kimono with silver trim, a silver fox design and a silver obi and sky-blue formal shoes. She's also in her half-fox form.

After a brief group hug, they sat down and started eating. While they were dining, Naruto decided to start talking.

"Girls, what I'm about to tell you must stay between us, okay?" Both girls nodded, prompting a smile to appear on his face. After looking around, he started to explain what happened on his sixth birthday, about the locket he wears and about their location. Their reactions are like this.

Hinata was saddened that he was attacked on his birthday, but happy that he got to meet his mother and can mentally speak to her as well as Tsunade. She also found it romantic that their parents got engaged here. Ginko was thinking the same, but she was more focused on the fact that he was reunited with his mother.

All of a sudden, both girls scooted next to him and hugged him. "Then what Mommy told me is true." said Ginko.

"What's that?" Naruto asked the fox-girl.

"That a mother's love is everlasting." Ginko explained as she nuzzled into his neck.

Hinata noticed this and decided that now was the time to act. "Um, Ginko? Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked.

Ginko stopped her nuzzling and nodded before she and Hinata walked behind a cherry blossom tree outside of Naruto's hearing range. "What's up?"

"I want to know your feelings for Naruto." Hinata decided to be straightforward when she asked.

Ginko raised an eyebrow before she narrowed her eyes at the young Hyuuga. "You like him like I do, don't you?" she asked.

Hinata was a little taken aback by this. "What do you mean?"

Ginko sighed. "I'll be honest with you, Hinata. When I first saw him, I thought he was cute. I still do. I care about him very much, even though we've only known each other for two years. I made a silent promise to never leave him and we kitsunes always keep our promises. I can tell that your feelings for him are similar to mine."

Hinata nodded. "When I first saw him, I also thought he was cute, and I still do. Like you said, I care about him very much, even though we've only known each other for two years. I made a promise to always be there for him when I found out about the chronic nightmares."

"Hinata, why do you want to know about my feelings for Naruto?" Ginko inquired.

Hinata explained the conversation she had with her mother to the young vixen. When she was done, both girls were blushing.

"You love him, don't you?" Ginko asked.

Hinata looked at Naruto, whose eyes have been watching them since they stepped over to the tree, then back at Ginko. "I do, but I don't know if my feelings will be returned. I also don't want to lose you as a friend." she admitted.

Ginko nodded in understanding. She wouldn't admit it to her family, but she has fallen in love with the blond maelstrom. "I don't want to lose you either, Hinata." she said.

"So what do we do?" Hinata wondered.

"We find out his feelings for us and go from there." Ginko suggested. "If he likes us both, all the better."

"What do you mean?"

"Your mother does has a point. Why should we fight over him when we can share him instead?" Hinata blushed at Ginko's suggestion.

"I-I guess I can go with that." the young girl said meekly.

After Hinata got the blush off her face, they went back over to Naruto.

"What were you two talking about over there?" he asked.

"Oh, girl stuff." Ginko lied smoothly. Naruto rolled his eyes.

xxxxx

Since then, the trio has returned to Kushina's garden many times for picnics, usually every other Saturday. They never divulged its location for fear that someone might ruin the place that means so much to Naruto's family. During these picnics, the girls tried to discover Naruto's feelings towards them. They learned that they are very precious to him and that he'll even die for them. They've decided to wait for the right moment to tell him of their feelings for him.

A few months after Hinata turned seven, Hikari was stricken with an unknown illness. Naruto contacted Tsunade and she came back as quickly as she could. She discovered that she somehow contracted a deadly virus from somewhere, though she has no idea how. The elders of the Hyuuga clan immediately blamed Naruto for it until Tsunade explained that the virus isn't contagious and would have killed someone as young as Naruto in a matter of hours. She had asked for the clan's best trackers to gather the necessary herbs to save Hikari's life. Unfortunately, they didn't gather the herbs in time and she passed away. Not only was her immediate family devastated, but so were Tsunade, Naruto and Mikoto.

After her funeral, which had the two loyal sannin, Shizune, Naruto, Mikoto and the Youko family, Hinata ran into the forest in tears. She had no generally set destination. She just wanted to escape the truth that her mother is gone. Somehow, she ended up in Kushina's garden, where she hid in the cave and sat down, holding her knees close to her. Her crying never let up as she still missed her mother. She knew that she would never see her again. As she thought that, her crying got worse.

It was getting dark and cold, and Hinata was never out this late. She was starting to get scared because she was hearing rustling in the forest. She didn't know who or what it was, so she retreated to the back of the cave. The sounds soon made it into the cave and she started to shiver in fear. She closed her eyes, knowing that no one could help her now, not even Naruto. Her fear slowly vanished when a warm hand touched her cheek. Her shaking stopped due to a voice that she knew all too well.

"Don't be afraid, Hinata. You know I would never hurt you."

The voice spoke with such kindness and caring that her eyes shot open and her cheeks turned pink. "N-Na-Naruto!"

She saw that he was smiling and looking at her in the eyes. "Are you crying because you miss your mother?" he said as his smile slowly faded.

He hit the nail on that one. She nodded and started crying again. She even broke eye contact and looked towards the ground.

Naruto got the message and knew that she missed her mother more than anyone else. "I know. I miss her too." he said sadly. He then felt something pull at his heart. He couldn't explain it, but he knew why he felt it. He didn't like seeing her like this, so he did something that she didn't expect. He left the cave for a minute, came back and sat in front of her.

Hinata didn't notice that he had left, came back or that he was sitting in front of her. She missed her mother too much to notice. But she did notice his next action. Naruto hugged his crying friend, trying to calm her down. He knew that her mother calmed her down in a similar method. Hikari once did the same thing for him when he was sad.

After a few minutes have passed, Hinata stopped crying, though she was still sad about losing her mother. Her sadness slowly disappeared while Naruto was hugging her. She was even blushing at his actions. He let up on the hug so that they could look at each other's face. With one hand, he gently wiped away some of the tears that were still there. As their eyes met, it was like being in a trance. Big cerulean eyes meeting clear lavender ones. Their gaze didn't break, but the silence did.

"Feel better, Hinata?" he said sincerely.

She smiled and nodded without breaking the gaze. "Thank you, Naruto, for being here for me."

"Anytime, Hinata." He smiled and broke the gaze to pick something up from the ground. "Here, I got this for you."

Hinata saw what he got her. It was two flowers; a white rose and a lilac, her mother's favorite. He handed her the lilac and put the rose in her hair, right above her left ear. She blushed and thanked him for the flowers. She then brought him close and hugged him. He responded with his own, tightening the embrace. After a few minutes, he led her out of the cave and escorted her home.

When they got to the Hyuuga mansion, they were greeted by a worried Hiashi. Naruto told him what happened, leaving out that she was in the cave in his mother's garden. Hiashi also noticed the flowers in her hair and her hand. He figured that Naruto gave them to her for some reason. He came to that conclusion when he saw her blushing. He took her in for bed and the two Hyuugas waved good night to Naruto, who waved back. Hinata still missed her mother, but whenever she looked at the lilac, she felt better. She decided to keep it and the rose to always remember his kindness by. She carefully pressed the flowers and placed them in a frame. The frame contained a drawing that Naruto drew for her. The drawing was a picture of them and Ginko in Kushina's garden, sitting under one of the trees. She then hid it so no one else would find it.

xxxxx

Ever since the funeral, Tsunade decided to stay in the village until the end of the summer, since she didn't feel like taking Naruto away from Hinata right now. The girl mourned Hikari's death and has erected a small shrine for her, with the help of her father. Both father and daughter were saddened and angered, in Hiashi's case at least, that many have pinned the blame for Hikari's death on Naruto, even when Tsunade explained that Naruto could not have given her such an illness from simply associating with her, especially since it would have killed him days before she died. Unfortunately, they didn't believe her and the villagers became harsher towards Naruto. Many were sent to the hospital by Tsunade herself, as she's taken it upon herself to protect her godson more actively. Whenever he was in the village, Tsunade, Shizune or Yuki was with him. They even go with him during his errands and escort him to and from the academy. Hinata is also escorted to the academy, but by a chūnin teacher named Kurenai Yuuhi.

While Tsunade was in the village, she decided to make herself useful and worked at the hospital. She quickly took charge and changed many things that she found inadequate or unnecessary. Some of the staff were even fired when she discovered what happened during Naruto's stays here. Apparently, a few of the doctors and nurses refused to heal him or even tried to kill him by not healing him properly or giving him poisoned food or the wrong medication. She also took to privately training Naruto and his friends during her free time. She even proposed that a medical class should be added to the academy to increase the number of medics on the gennin squads, which is one every eight squads. The council denied her, stating that they must be chūnin to properly become medical ninja. She was upset at that and continued to fight the issue, but the council wouldn't budge, even when she had the support of both Jiraiya and Sarutobi.

That was not the only headache Tsunade received. The council demanded that she stay in the village to train more medics, but she refused, saying that only a small few are the only reason she's even here until the end of the summer and she's still very mad at the village. She was even approached by Fugaku Uchiha, who had 'asked' her to teach his sons her super strength technique. Her answer was to throw him two hundred meters into the forest. Very few people know it, but she hates Fugaku with a passion. Even fewer people know why.

xxxxx

It was early August and Tsunade was meeting with a dear friend.

"Mikoto, are you sure about this?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. It must be done." the dark-haired woman replied.

"But what about your son? What about Naruto?" Tsunade asked her, hoping that she would reconsider.

Mikoto shook her head. "Naruto would be hurt more than Sasuke would. That is why I gave you that scroll."

"I've read it, you know. When do you want me to give it to him?" the busty blonde asked her old student.

"When you believe he is ready... no sooner, no later." the Uchiha headmistress responded. "I was forced away from Minato. I will not be forced away from Naruto."

"Then why go through with this?" Tsunade didn't understand why she would do this.

"Because it must be done. I must protect my family... my real family." Mikoto replied with a smile.

Tsunade's eyes widened. "You never loved him, did you?"

"Tsunade-sensei, you already know the answer to that question." And with that, Mikoto vanished in a flash of fire.

A tear slipped down her cheek as she stared at where her old student once stood. "Goodbye, Mikoto. Give Minato my deepest regards."

xxxxx

A few nights later, a great tragedy befell the village. The Uchiha clan was massacred by one of its own: Itachi. There was only one survivor; his younger brother, Sasuke. Tsunade was in charge of his treatment and recovery from the traumatic event. The village mourned the loss of the clan, but Sasuke silently vowed to avenge his clan by killing Itachi. Tsunade somehow found out and have asked Naruto to try and steer him away from revenge, only for the boy to shut himself off from others and become a brooding loner before the young blond could try to help him.

After Tsunade left, many in the village pitied Sasuke and tried their best to help him. Some of the girls in class, and some of the civilian girls, started following him around, becoming his fangirls, much to his dismay. Said fangirls always cheered him on and booed anyone he was facing and those who did better than him, which gave Naruto a major headache. He was ranked as one of the top students and the only one who can defeat Sasuke during their taijutsu spars, which the fangirls complained that he somehow cheated. He once had to restrain Kouen from attacking one of the girls who tried to hit him for hurting Sasuke, even though it was only a mere flesh wound.

To make matters worse, he has caught Sasuke spying on him whenever he trained in the forest or one of the training grounds. He was fortunate that Yuki always had a clone watching over him, as the clone would always put Sasuke to sleep and relocate him to a training ground on the opposite side of the village. He never showed it outwardly, but inwardly, he wanted the boy to knock it off. They ended up becoming unofficial rivals. He silently hoped that once he became a ninja, he isn't put on his squad.

xxxxx

Inside his dreams, on his eighth birthday, Naruto and Kushina celebrated his day of birth and mourned the loss of both Mikoto and Hikari.

"Mommy, do you think they're in a better place?" he asked her as he migrated to her lap.

Kushina looked at her son and smiled. "Son, I know they're in a better place. Do you want to know why?"

When he nodded his head, he gasped when he heard a pair of familiar voices. "Because family always stick together."

Naruto turned and saw both Hikari and Mikoto standing in front of him. "But... but... how?" he asked, shocked that they are in his dream.

"Because Naruto, a mother's love is everlasting." Hikari replied. "I can sense the feelings you have for Hinata, thus the reason why I am here."

"And you know that I cared about your father, which explains why I am here." Mikoto added.

Naruto stared at the two women with tears threatening to fall. He was suddenly embraced by the three women.

"Naruto, we are the Three Maidens. Together, we are as powerful as two of the Legendary Sannin." said Mikoto.

"For a long time, we have seen each other as sisters, which would make myself and Mikoto your aunts." Hikari added.

"As such, we will always be there for you, my son." Kushina finished. "We are family, now and forever."

For the rest of his time in the dream, Naruto remained in the arms of the Three Maidens.

xxxxx

A/N: Finally, it's done. This chapter gave me a few problems as I worked out the details. I mean, I knew how it would go, but not how to actually type it. The authors out there can sympathize with me on this. Anyway, please read and review.

This chapter was mainly to bring in three keep elements. The first was the academy. To be honest, I don't know when Naruto actually joined the academy. I would assume when Sasuke did, which was when he was eight, but I can't be sure. Instead, I went with the age of seven, as Konohamaru is in the academy and that's how old he is when he was first introduced. The second was the picnic. I wanted to do the picnic in this chapter as a way to explain both Hinata's and Ginko's feelings for Naruto. At this point in the story, they are simply best friends and, I guess, borderline childhood sweethearts. The third was the loss of both Hikari and Mikoto. This will play a vital role in Naruto's growth, along with Hinata's, Hanabi's and Sasuke's. And yes, Kushina's birthday present for Naruto is both Hikari and Mikoto, but I'll explain that next chapter.

Changes from before: This chapter has many different changes that involve the original chapters one and two. In chapter one, Naruto would sometimes take Hinata on picnics in the secret garden, which I changed to Kushina's garden in this story. He first took her when they were five. I waited two years in this one and added Ginko to the list. As before, no one else knows of the garden at this point. Also, later in chapter one, Hikari dies from an illness. Due to the changes, Naruto was able to get help in the form of Tsunade. Before, he was unaware of the illness until it was too late. He was still blamed for Hikari's death. That was something I kept. Also, when Naruto found Hinata, he gave her a lavender-colored flower instead of a white rose and a lilac. I never did state what flower it was, so I decided to do so this time. Like before, she pressed them and put them in a frame containing a picture of him and her in the garden. Only this time, Ginko is in it. In chapter two, I never mentioned the Uchiha massacre and at this point in the story, Naruto was avoiding Hinata, which I decided to change. With Hinata's current mindset and with Ginko, they wouldn't stray too far from Naruto for too long. I also didn't include many of the scenes of chapter two for some no longer fit the storyline anymore and I didn't want to include a few in this chapter for reasons I don't want to reveal.

Response Corner:

notgonnasay09: Actually, this story is epic-length, so there's not going to be a continuation. On my first go, I was planning on doing a spinoff. I'm not going to on this one, though I might do a side story for it.

As for your other review, you guessed right with your second guess. Your first guess was something I could not do. I mean, the vixens play a vital role in Naruto's life. Them dying would be very devastating to not only him, but the girls as well. Your third guess was something I also could not do. The kunoichis in training are needed in the story as well. I couldn't have them dying at such an age. Like you, I would be a very unhappy camper.

No preview this time. Don't want to spoil the next chapter for you.

Later!


	7. Arc 1 Chapter 7

**The Kitsune and the Neko**

"Talking"  
'Thoughts'  
**Demon/Deity/Dire Beast  
**_Flashback/Mind Link_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Arc 1: The Early Years  
Chapter 7: Kitsune's Discovery**

The full moon shined in the evening sky. A wonderful sight for one Naruto Uzumaki as he sat on the roof of the house he calls home.

It's been four years since the loss of the Uchiha clan and the Hyuuga headmistress. He's noticed that many in the village were quite sympathetic to the self proclaimed 'Last Uchiha'. In fact, they practically worship him. Not only that, but he has gained a huge fanbase consisting of both civilian and academy girls who, for some odd reason, claim that they love him. To make matters worse, they always side with him, like he can't do nothing wrong. And whenever he is bested by anyone or someone makes a bad comment about the Uchiha, they all hit the offender and yell at them for either insulting or hurting 'their Sasuke' or for cheating. He himself has been on the receiving end of this many times, mainly because he is the top ranked student in the class, right above Sasuke, something that got on the boy's nerves. Not only does he have to deal with the boy's fangirls, as well as restrain Kouen from attacking them, but he has to deal with the Uchiha and his arrogance. The boy constantly challenges him whenever the chance presents itself. He never accepts and if Sakura, Ino or Tsuki are with him, they'll put him to sleep with a simple genjutsu, and then relocate him.

Speaking of the girls, after Hikari's death, the Hyuuga elders have been hounding Hiashi to keep Hinata away from him 'for her own safety', as they put it. Hiashi has explained to him that his clan's elders are among the ones that despise him for something he cannot tell him. He was told by Yuki, Sarutobi and Kushina that they'll tell him what that reason is once he graduates the academy. He was fortunate that not all of the elders were against him, as Hitome Hyuuga, Hinata's grandmother, and a few others appreciate not only his friendship with the Hyuuga heiress, but his protection of her. However, to make it hard on both friends, the elders that are against them decided to have Hinata fight against her sister every now and then. And if she were to lose, she would lose her spot as heir and be placed in the branch family. This enraged the family and they tried to fight against it, along with the truly loyal elders, but they said that unless Hinata renounces her friendship with Naruto, they will not back off. Hiashi told them that he prevented it by revealing something that he refuses to tell them about to the elders, who were shocked and immediately left them alone, much to their relief. They were both curious as to what the Hyuuga head used to stop the elders' insistence, but he refused to say and the elders were sworn to secrecy under penalty of death.

Shaking the negative thoughts out of his head, he thought about the good points of the past four years. An image of Tsunade popped into his head and he smiled. He has spent the past four summers with her, along with a few of his friends. The first year, he went with Sakura and Ino. The trio focused on genjutsu and medical ninjutsu mostly. Naruto had the hardest time with it, as he had to train vigorously to control his chakra, but he was able to learn everything he was being taught. They learned that Naruto has a very hard time learning genjutsu, but he still was able to learn a few. Not as many as the girls, but enough for him to be a support fighter if needed, even though he's more of an assault fighter.

The second year, he went with Hinata and Tenten. The trio focused on elemental and medical ninjutsu mostly. A few months before Tsunade came to pick them up, Naruto's bloodline awakened one evening, and Ginko was present during the whole ordeal. He spent half an hour laying on his stomach as pain tore through his back while Ginko did her best to comfort him. Once the process was completed, he passed out. During the summer, he practiced with his bloodline and learned more about it. The sannin were able to teach them a few jutsu while they trained in the medical arts and refined their chakra control. Shizune also spent some one-on-one time with Tenten to refine her already amazing accuracy with projectile weapons. That's when the three friends got an idea. They decided to create a jutsu that's based on a particular long-range weapon. It took them two years to finish the basics and a few advanced versions of it.

The third year, he went with Kouen, Ginko and Tsuki. The quartet also focused on elemental and medical ninjutsu mostly, but they also focused on their weapons training. They ended up bumping into someone who is a great swordsman and he was able to help them in that regard, seeing as Naruto, Kouen and Tsuki are learning the ways of the sword. They were even able to get special weapons made just for them.

The fourth, and final, year, he went with Hinata and Ginko. This was Naruto's favorite by far. At this time, they were secretly dating and they didn't want anyone outside their trusted group to know about it. The trio focused on refining what they knew and learned more about medicine. During the spring, Ginko discovered that she could manipulate a rare element and has only told her family and Naruto this. She practiced over the summer and has managed to refine it, but needed to find a teacher. Unfortunately, the sannin knew of one, but he was said to be too unstable at the moment. Hinata focused on combining her ninjutsu and taijutsu together to create some devastating combos. She also learned how to use a sword the year before, thanks to Tenten, and Naruto helped her refine her skills.

Speaking of himself, he focused on what he was taught from a few of the jounin he was introduced to by a dog-masked ANBU he knew named Inu. He first introduced him to the resident taijutsu expert, Might Guy, on his eleventh birthday and asked if he could train him in his personal taijutsu style. The man wholeheartedly agreed and he learned that he was also the jounin instructor of Tenten, who he convinced to learn it alongside him a few weeks later. Her two teammates are Neji Hyuuga, Hinata's cousin and the top ranked student of his class, and Rock Lee, an orphan who is unable to use ninjutsu and genjutsu. When asked how he passed, he said that he was sponsored by Guy, who said that he has a lot of potential, despite his shortcomings. And after doing his very best, he passed, albeit barely.

The second jounin he was introduced to was a tiger-masked ANBU named Tenzou. When told of what he could do, he brought Tsuki to learn under him while he also listened, as he told them that his mother's blood hasn't fully awakened yet and she was able to do the same thing the ANBU could. This surprised both men and, after speaking to Tsunade about it, she confirmed it, as she was told by Naruto that Kushina is trying to find a way to grant him the same abilities that she had, which shocked the woman considering that the redhead's been dead for over a decade and is still able to make an impact.

The third jounin he was introduced to was also an ANBU. This one was a cat-masked ANBU named Yugao Uzuki. He was then told that she, Tenzou and Inu have been guarding him from the villagers' unnecessary wrath for years. Yugao taught him how to add elemental chakra to his swords. He was able to do it with fire and wind, but not water for some reason, but he was okay with that. She even helped him in his ninjutsu training, since she knew both fire and water elemental jutsu. The two have grown quite close and he even got to meet her boyfriend, a jounin named Hayate Gekkou. He was also a great swordsman, but he suffered from a lung disease that weakened him. Fortunately, he was healed by Tsunade when she came to pick him up for his final year on the road. He wanted to thank him by teaching him a sword style he knew and is a master of, but he declined and asked if he could teach it to a few girls who he knew would love to learn it. He agreed and was thanked by Tenten, Kouen and Tsuki when he got back.

His reminiscing was interrupted when Ginko slipped into his embrace. He had to admit, at twelve years old, the vixen is certainly a real beauty. He considered himself lucky to have someone as gorgeous as her as his girlfriend, though the same could be said whenever he thought of his other girlfriend, Hinata. To his amazement, not only did both girls love him, but they didn't mind their unusual relationship. He knew that if any of the other guys knew this, they would be very jealous. So far, they've been dating for over a year and their dates are usually picnics at Kushina's garden. Last summer, they were able to go out on candlelight dinners, watch a few movies, and even go dancing under the stars. He was told by Shizune that he was a natural romantic. The trio has decided a few months ago that this was their peace. They don't want this peace to leave them. Not even death will disturb this peace.

With a smile, he wrapped his strong arms around her body, which is surprisingly more developed than most of the other girls, and pulled her closer to him, since it was a bit chilly and they were both dressed in a large black t-shirt and shorts. Rubbing her arms as she snuggled up to him, her three silver tails curling around him, he asked, "Such a wonder night, isn't it?"

Ginko nodded with a hum. "Naruto, what were you thinking about earlier?"

"Oh, just reminiscing about the past four years and how I'm blessed with two beautiful angels." he replied, causing her to blush.

Their blue eyes locked onto each other and she said with a smile, "Such good times. You've gotten so handsome over the years."

"And you've become so radiant, as did Hinata and the others ladies in my life." he added with soft eyes.

Ginko giggled a little as she thought about the others women in her boyfriend's heart. "Do you remember our first kiss?" she asked.

Naruto pulled her closer, their foreheads touching. "How could I forget?"

_It was April and Naruto, Hinata and Ginko are at Kushina's garden on yet another picnic. Sometimes, they dress up in their formal wear for this, mainly because the girls want to look their best around him. This is one of those times and they made sure that they looked their absolute best. The reason: they have a surprise for their friend._

_After dessert, they cleaned up, laid on the blanket and gazed at the clouds in the sky. Hinata was on Naruto's right side and Ginko was on Naruto's left side, both are using his arms as pillows._

_After a few minutes, the two girls draped an arm on his chest and pulled themselves closer to him, so they both can look him in the eye. Naruto, for his part, blushed at the girls' actions. "Naruto?" they both said._

_"Yes, girls?" he responded._

_"Do you like us?" Hinata asked._

_"Of course I do. Why would I not?" he replied._

_"We mean, do you 'like' like us?" Ginko rephrased._

_Naruto's blush grew a little as he understood what they meant. His hands migrated to their hair as he passed his fingers through it, mentally comparing it to soft silk. "Girls, I care about you both. You're my best friends and I won't ever abandon you, no matter what." He then sighed. "From what you're implying, I think you want to know if our picnics count as dates." Both girls blushed a little. "If you want to think of them as dates, then go ahead. I know for a fact that the Hyuuga elders would be furious and probably call for my head if they even receive a hint of me courting you, Hinata. And I know that Ms. Yuki wouldn't mind me dating you, Ginko. In fact, she might even encourage it." Ginko's blush grew at the thought of what her mother would do if she played matchmaker. "Look, I won't lie to either of you. I think you both are beautiful, sweet, kind, gentle and loving. Any guy would be lucky to be your boyfriend. The question I have for you two is: why are you asking me this?"_

_Both girls looked at each other and raised an eyebrow. They then turned back to him and kissed his cheeks. "Because we want you to be our boyfriend." Hinata replied._

_Naruto's eyes widened and before he could say anything, Ginko spoke up. "Naruto, you've been so kind to us ever since we first met. You even saved Hinata from a group of bullies and comforted her when Lady Hikari passed away. I don't think any other boy could compare to you in our eyes."_

_"But why me?" he wondered. He had a fairly good idea of where this was going, but it sounded too good to be true._

_He was answered when both girls pressed their lips onto his own. His eyes widened when he felt an electric spark surge through him as they shared their first true kiss. After a few seconds, they pulled away and both girls said in unison, "Because we love you, Naruto."_

_If it was possible, his eyes widened even further and before he knew it, he fainted with the sound of Tsunade giggling echoing in his head._

"That was the first time I ever kissed a girl." Naruto commented.

"Yeah. It made it much easier when I wanted to wake you up in the morning." Ginko added.

Naruto blushed. One of Ginko's favorite ways to wake him up is to straddle him and lock her lips with his. One time, he found their shirts on the floor, so he got an eyeful of Ginko's mature body. He's fairly used to it, as he had spent many of times in the hot springs with the women of his life, though it got rather embarrassing after Kushina gave him 'the talk'. For three weeks, he couldn't look his own mother in the eye without blushing, along with Yugao, Yuki, Hikari, Mikoto or the girls, which amused them, Kurenai and Tsunade to no end. "And you just had to show yourself to me after Mom decided to tell me about the birds and the bees." he grumbled, remembering the time where she woke him up with a kiss and their shirts were on the floor. Once he opened his eyes, his face and neck turned red before he passed out with a nosebleed.

Ginko had to cover her mouth to hide her laughter. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but she did find it rather funny. "I couldn't help it. We kitsunes are natural tricksters." she said after she calmed herself. "But you can't say that you didn't like what you saw."

His blush grew as he glared at her. He would never admit it, but he knew that Ginko was right. However, seeing as how Jiraiya's always punished for his perverseness, him being one of his punishers, he does not want the man to call him a hypocrite... or worse, try and turn him into a clone of himself. "Can we change the subject please?" he asked her, hoping to move away from this train of thought.

"How about to the Christmas party?" Ginko suggested.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. He remembered that party well. It was after all three sisters went with him during the summer two years ago. His blush died down a little, but remained as he remembered how that holiday turned out.

_It was two days before Hinata's birthday and Hiashi allowed her to spend it and the holiday with her boyfriend. Sayuki, Ikana and Tenshi also allowed their daughters to spend the three days at the Youko's hidden home. When they came over, they were dragged off by the sisters to get ready for the party they were having while Naruto was dragged to his room by Yuki so he could get ready. He came down dressed in a red kimono and hakuma set with white trim, a black sash, black gloves, black indoor shoes, a red haori with white trim and a Christmas hat. The girls came down soon after and Naruto's face resembled a tomato when he saw what the seven of them are dressed in. Each one is garbed in a red two piece bikini with white furry trim, black silken gloves and black knee-high boots. They completed the look with a Christmas hat, a red haori with white trim and lip-gloss, which made them even more irresistible._

_"Looks like he likes the sight before him." said Yuki from her position behind him. When he turned around, he almost fainted, as she was dressed in the same fashion as the girls, except she was wearing high-heeled boots and pink lipstick. To make it worse, she brushed one of her tails under his chin and winked. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as he fainted with a big smile on his heavily flushed face. He was caught by two of her tails as the girls giggled at his expense._

_He later woke up to both Ginko and Hinata on either side of him. "Relax, Naruto. This is a treat just for you." Ginko purred into his ear._

_"She's right." Yuki added. "A few weeks ago, we've decided to do this for you because the village has been so mean to you, minus a good chunk of the populous."_

_"I hope this won't be a recurring thing, not that I mind." he asked._

_"No, but you can't tell anyone about this, especially Jiraiya. I don't want him trying to corrupt my charge." Yuki replied. When Naruto nodded, they all went into the dining room to enjoy their Christmas dinner, though they took their hats off first._

_xxxxx_

_After dinner, they were back in the living room to open up the presents that they got for each other. Sakura was first on the list, who got everyone a set of cookbooks her mothers has written. Hinata was next, who got everyone a stuffed animal. Sakura received a pink bear with green eyes and a red jacket with a white circle on the back. Tenten received a panda bear dressed in a white fighter's gi and a black belt. Naruto received a golden-furred fox with blue eyes, black fur on the tips of its ears and paws, pure white fur on the tips of its tails, a red jacket with black flames trimming the bottom and a pair of snow-white angel wings. Ino received the same thing, except it has platinum blonde fur, teal eyes, a violet jacket with white flames trimming the bottom and a pair of black butterfly wings with a golden design. Yuki and her daughters all received foxes with matching fur, blue eyes and a blue jacket with cyan flames. Yuki's was sea-blue, Kouen's was midnight blue, Ginko's was sky-blue and Tsuki's was dark blue. Tenten's gifts for everyone consisted of a scroll full of brand new weapons and medical supplies. Ino got everyone a new outfit. Ginko got everyone a few novels that she knew they enjoyed. Kouen got everyone a pair of music CDs of their favorite artists. Tsuki got everyone a portrait of themselves that she secretly painted over the past two months. Yuki got everyone a snow globe that contained a miniature scale of themselves made out of ice that will never melt, thanks to a few seals Jiraiya taught her._

_They even received a surprise guest in the form of Akira, who delivered Tsunade and Shizune's wishes for the holidays as well as their presents. Both women got everyone a set of jutsu scrolls that best suited them. Sakura received mostly genjutsu scrolls, but she also had a few fire and water ninjutsu scrolls, since those are her elements. Hinata received mostly water and lightning ninjutsu scrolls, but she discovered that she also had the wind element after she kissed Naruto for the first time, so she got a few wind ninjutsu scrolls as well. Tenten received lightning ninjutsu scrolls, as that is her main element, along with some scrolls on advanced sealing from Jiraiya. Naruto received ice ninjutsu scrolls, as that is the only element he has little knowledge on, along with scrolls on advanced sealing from Jiraiya and a letter that said that he wants him to be his apprentice upon graduation. Ino received fire and lightning ninjutsu scrolls, as those are her elements, and genjutsu scrolls. Ginko received earth and wind ninjutsu scrolls, as those are her elements. Kouen received fire, wind and lightning ninjutsu scrolls, as those are her elements. Tsuki received special ninjutsu scrolls from Tsunade that contains some of her grandfather's wood style ninjutsu, as that is one of her elements, and a letter telling her not to show them to anyone else but Naruto and asking her to teach them to him once his mother's blood has awakened. Yuki received scrolls on advanced sealing from Jiraiya and a letter from both sannin asking her if Naruto was ready. She quickly jotted down a replay saying not yet, but he should be after graduation if nothing bad happens._

_All of the women then turned to Naruto, who insisted that he go last. He locked eyes with each of the women and smiled. When he locked eyes with Yuki, she knew what he was about to do and decided to use a little fox magic to help._

_He relocated himself to the recliner and asked if they would come over to him one at a time. Sakura was up first, who he surprised by pulling her onto his lap. "Sakura, we've been friends for years, haven't we?" She nodded. "Well, I'm actually surprised you haven't asked me out with the way you were when we first met." Sakura blushed. She was tempted to ask him out, but she knew that he was taken by both Hinata and Ginko. "I hope you like my present to you." He reached into his kimono and pulled out a scroll with a pink ribbon tying it closed. Sakura untied the ribbon, opened the scroll and saw a pair of seals. She unsealed the first one, which said 'red rose' in kanji._

_What came out was a twenty-four-inch sai blade with a red blade and green fabric wrapped around the handle. She then unsealed the other one, which said 'white rose' in kanji, and a matching sai blade appeared, but the blade was pure white instead of red. "Sakura, Tenten told me that you've been practicing with sai blades while I was gone, so I had these made for you." he said. "The red one is Kubara and the white one is Byakubara. They're both very durable and have abilities unique to themselves. Also..." He then pulled out a pair of red fighter's gloves with seals on the palms. The seals were hardly noticeable unless you were actually looking for them. "These gloves can summon your 'roses' from that scroll whenever you like. I didn't think a holster would really be suitable for your taste. Plus, I don't think you want to get your hands dirty." After he handed her the gloves, she put them on, finding them to be a perfect fit. She then saw them glow for a moment. "I just activated one of the seals on them. It will use your chakra to adjust their size if needed, so that they'll always fit. Channel your chakra to the seal on the palms to summon and dismiss your 'roses'."_

_Sakura did just that and once they were back in the scroll, she wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck. "Thank you, Naruto. They're just perfect for me." she said as they hugged._

_Suddenly, Yuki cleared her throat, which got their attention. With a huge smirk, she pointed up, and what they saw was a mistletoe floating above Naruto and Sakura. The children raised an eyebrow and thought, 'Mom/Ms. Yuki must have done that.'_

_Naruto and Sakura locked eyes with each other. Sapphire blue meeting emerald green as they blushed from the implication of the floating shrub. "You know, a mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it." he said._

_Sakura smiled. "But a kiss can be even deadlier." Their eyes slowly closed as their lips gently touched. The kiss only lasted a moment, but for Sakura, it felt like an eternity. She couldn't describe how wonderful it was. She now knows what Ginko and Hinata get to experience on a regular basis. What Sakura didn't know at first was that she and Naruto were surrounded in a golden aura while they kissed, courtesy of the blond boy pouring some of his essence into her._

_Once their lips parted, Naruto smiled and said, "And finally, I grant you the gift of steam." He blew a little steam out of his nose to illistrate his point. "Normally, I cannot teach anyone these jutsu, but Mom gave me permission to do so, but only for certain people. Because you have the fire and water elements, Mom has decided that, as a close friend of mine, you are allowed to learn the Uzumaki clan's steam style ninjutsu."_

_Sakura gasped. She was being allowed to learn his clan's jutsu! Naruto has told the ladies in the house on his tenth birthday that he can speak to his mother and Tsunade, but only Yuki knows that he can speak to Hikari and Mikoto as well. He made them promise to keep it a secret and they have kept their word, afraid that they might lose their friend to his mother's enemies. Once she composed herself, she hugged him again. This time, a little tighter._

_After they pulled away, Sakura got off his lap with her scroll in one hand and her fighter's gloves in the other while Hinata sat on his lap, since she was next. However, unlike Sakura, she straddled his waist and draped her arms around his neck. She peeked upwards and saw the mistletoe above them. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" she questioned Yuki, who merely nodded with a smile._

_"She has a good reason to." Naruto said to her. "The gift of steam was a combined present from me and Mom and I needed Ms. Yuki's help to give it."_

_"So she created the mistletoe so you can kiss us?" Sakura asked with a light blush._

_"Pretty much. Mom wants to give you all a present for not only being my friends, but for being there for me." Naruto explained. He then reached into his kimono and pulled out a pair of scrolls, tied together with a gold ribbon and a lavender ribbon. "Hinata, before you open them, I want to tell you something." When he was sure he had her undivided attention, he continued. "Like Sakura, I know that you've been practicing with a weapon during the summer. I received a pair of weapons during the summer and I want to share them with you." He pointed at one of the scrolls, which has lavender trim. "That scroll is yours while the other one" He then pointed at the other scroll, which has gold trim. "is mine. They're both connected to each other for a reason you're about to see."_

_And with that, he let her untie the ribbons and unfurl the lavender scroll. Like Sakura's, it contained two seals. She unsealed the first one, which said 'gale cutter' in kanji. A sheathed katana appeared between them in a puff of smoke. The katana was standard length with white and sky-blue fabric on the hilt in a diamond pattern, the kanji for wind was etched on the guard and the blade looked very sharp. When Hinata grasped the hilt, she felt its power, like a gentle breeze that can easily become a fierce hurricane. "Hinata, this is Fuukiri, a wind elemental katana with the power to cut through even the wind itself. Its sharpness depends on the user's control of the wind. I can even use my fire element to enhance its power. You should be able to do the same with your lightning element."_

_He then pointed to the other seal, which says 'water tail' in kanji. What came out of it was another sheathed katana. This katana looked like a duplicate of Fuukiri, but the hilt's fabric was lavender and sea-blue and the kanji for water was etched on the guard. When Hinata grasped the hilt of this sword, she felt the weapon's power, like a calm wave that can easily become a raging tsunami. "This one is Suibi, a water elemental katana with the power to gather nearby water and moisture. I can use my fire element to heat the blade and create steam as I slash or my wind element to chill whatever I cut, so it's very powerful when used correctly. However, I don't think you should use your lightning element with this, as it could backfire and hurt you." Hinata nodded as she sat the katana down. "Now, before we can use them, we much smear some of our blood on the kanji that resides on the guards. They will bind the weapons to us and only those we trust are allowed to touch them. Otherwise, the swords' power will react and ward them away."_

_Tenten produced two senbon... from somewhere, and handed them to the couple. After pricking their thumbs, they smeared their blood on Fuukiri's guard. They felt the sword pulse, along with themselves, and felt its power settle down and accept them. They repeated the process with Suibi before they sheathed the swords and sealed them. "Oh, before I forget. Because you're better at the water element than I am, I want you to take care of Suibi while I take care of Fuukiri. They're both ours, but we should keep both of them with us at all times." Naruto continued. "This is why I made these scrolls. They can summon either one as long as they're sealed. And like I did with Sakura, I also got a pair of fighter's gloves for us as well."_

_He then pulled out a pair of lavender fighter's gloves that look strikingly similar to Sakura's. Once Hinata put them on, she saw them glow for a moment. She then took them off before pulling him into a deep, passionate kiss. She noticed that Naruto's power was flowing through her and vice versa. When they pulled away, he carried on. "And finally, because you got the wind element, thanks to Mom's meddling," 'Though I'm not complaining.' he mentally added. "I've decided that you should learn about the ice element, even though I don't know much about it myself." This earned him an even deeper kiss from Hinata. He can hear Kushina giggling in his head as she cheered him on, much to his amusement._

_After the girl had her fill, she got off her boyfriend and sauntered back to her place next to Ginko, swaying hips and giving him suggestive glances as she went. Now, Kushina is rolling around in laughter and wondering where the almost eleven-year-old girl learned how to seduce her son like that. The others were also amused, especially as Naruto's eyes followed her all the way to her seat._

_Once she sat down, Tenten sat on his lap and drew his cerulean eyes to her chocolate brown ones. "Focus, lover boy." she teased._

_Naruto shook his head. "You know, I'm starting to wonder if this is all some big dream I'm having." he said. Tenten merely shrugged. "Well, Mom said that I can't give you my present until I kiss you first. Don't ask why, though. I've already tried." She shrugged again before pressing her lips against his own. Like Sakura's, it was sweet and innocent and she glowed in a golden light as Naruto's power flowed into her. Once they parted, Kushina finally told her son what he gave her. He smiled inwardly. Tenten is going to love this. "Okay, Mom said that your gift is a very rare element that only a few others possessed before you." He then reached into his kimono and pulled out a scroll with a light pink ribbon. Inside the scroll is a letter from Kushina and several seals. Since Yuki placed privacy seals all over the house in advance, she read the letter aloud for everyone to hear._

_Tenten,_

_If you're reading this, then my son was able to give you your Christmas present. I hope you enjoyed the kiss. I know Hinata and Ginko enjoy them all the time. Anyway, your gift is called K__ou__ton. It is a unique kekkei genkai that allows the user to use the extremely rare element: steel. In the Uzumaki clan, only one person was able to use this element, and that was Takashi Uzumaki. He was my father and head of the clan before its destruction at the hands of the Hidden Stone Village. He hoped that I was able to use it as well, but I didn't possess the lightning element like he did. Normally, you would need the earth and lightning elements as well as the Uzumaki clan's bloodline to use steel style jutsu. But I used my son's chakra, my earth element and our combined power to grant you the power to use the earth and steel elements without having the Uzumaki bloodline._

_Now, because of the rarity of possessing it, our clan was unable to create any jutsu for it. However, Father was able to find someone who knows about and has mastered the element. Enclosed in this letter are jutsu scrolls that only you and my son are allowed to read. I made sure of that myself. Right now, you're probably wondering how I'm able to retrieve scrolls when I'm dead. Well, thanks to my son's massive amount of chakra, we were able to recreate them in perfect detail and place special seals on them that allows only the two of you access to them. Even though he cannot learn them, he will still need access to the scrolls._

_Kushina Uzumaki_

_Tenten looked up from the letter to Naruto, only to see him smiling at her. She smiled and hugged him, thanking him repeatedly for what he and his mother have given her._

_After she got off his lap, Ino was in her place. Like the playful blonde that she is, she straddled his waist and pressed her body as close to his as possible. She smiled in satisfaction when she saw him blush._

_After shaking his blush away, he surprised the other blonde by kissing her. He knew she expected it, but had no idea that he would take the initiative. After they pulled away, he smiled and said, "Mom wanted me to give her gift to you first before I give you mine." He then pulled out a scroll with a violet ribbon from his kimono and handed to her. Inside it are a series of seals. She unsealed the first one, which said 'fang' in kanji. What appeared were a pair of daggers, each with a fingerguard that has four one-inch spikes protruding from it. The blade of one of the daggers has a raging fire design while the other has a lightning bolt design. "Ino, say hello to Souga: Hi-Rai. These twin daggers are able to channel either fire or lightning elemental chakra into them, depending on the fang that you use. I know that you've been practicing with daggers, so I thought you could use a pair that suited you perfectly. Also, open the second seal." She did and what she saw were a pair of custom weapon holsters that can not only carry her ninja tools, but her new daggers as well. She also saw a pair of fighter's gloves like Sakura's and Hinata's, but in violet. "As for Mom's gift, she said that, as a flower child, you should be able to use such jutsu."_

_"What do you mean?" Ino asked as she resealed her present from him back in the scroll._

_"Well, like with Tenten's scrolls, Mom and I made a series of scrolls that only you and I can read. These scrolls are for the wood style, which is what we just gave you." Many people gasped. Only Tsuki could use that element. They all know that Naruto would eventually, but for Kushina to grant Ino with that ability... "Ino, you and your mother have taught me so much about flowers, just like the Youko family did. Plus, our mothers were good friends. She wants you to have this gift to thank you and your mother for keeping me safe and happy without her truly being here to do so herself."_

_Ino stared at her friend with tears in her eyes. He was a true friend, and she was lucky to know him. 'Those girls don't know what they're missing.' she thought to herself as she thought of all of Sasuke's fangirls who don't like Naruto because he's better than the brooding Uchiha. She and Sakura also had a crush on the boy, but quickly saw him for what he really is... a jerk. They both don't know why they keep ogling him and chasing him for dates when he hasn't shown any form of interest in them except for annoyance and contempt. However, she could have sworn she saw him staring at Hinata when they were training and she didn't have her jacket on, since it was rather hot that day._

_After giving him a big hug and a kiss on his cheek, she strolled away from him and allowed Ginko to have her turn. She, too, straddled his waist and made sure that there was no room between their bodies._

_Her present was also sealed inside a scroll, which has a silver ribbon tied around it. Inside was a pair of what looked like a cross between a tonfa and a dagger. They were as long as a dagger with a double-sided blade. The handle was wrapped in silver and sky-blue fabric and the guard was actually a blade with a crescent-shaped blade mixed with it. The crescent blade was made to look like a crescent moon. Next was a folding fan with a silver moon on both sides of the parchment. There was also two metal rings with a pair of loops that were meant to go on a belt and a holster for the fan._

_"Ginko, these are your new toys." Naruto began. "First are the tonfa-like weapons. They're actually elbow blades, a bladed weapon based on the tonfa. These are called the Silver Crescent. They are very sharp and great for both offense and defense. You can channel your wind chakra to increase their sharpness. Next is the Silver Moon, an enchanted battle fan. The parchment will never tear, burn, gather up moisture, get dirty or any of that stuff. Also, it can duplicate itself and even grow in size, becoming almost as tall as you are. Both weapons are made from dragon fangs and the parchment is actually dragon skin. The one who made it for me said that he was given the materials from an actual dragon that he knows."_

_"What about our weapons?" Sakura asked, gesturing to herself, Hinata and Ino._

_"They're made from the fangs of that same dragon. At first, I though he was pulling my leg, but Master Jiraiya confirmed it." Naruto replied._

_After resealing her weapons, Ginko brought her boyfriend's gaze back to her. "Thank you for the gift, Naruto." she said seductively before she pulled him into a rather intimate liplock. He was so caught off guard that he was unable to stop her tongue from diving in. However, he wasn't going to let her have all the fun and returned it for all it's worth. What everyone noticed was that, instead of a golden aura, the aura was silver and it emanated from Ginko instead of Naruto._

_After two minutes, they finally pulled away for some much needed air. Both were flushed from the intensity of the kiss and were panting slightly. "I know that when you kissed them, you channeled some of you chakra into them. Well, I wanted to do the same." she panted before kissing him again, though not as deep as the last one. One their lips parted, Kouen replaced her on his lap._

_"My sister is so silly." she said as she leaned into him. She personally didn't want to give him her first kiss, but she was alright with it. She did care about him, and did love him in a sense, so she figured it was alright if it was just this one time._

_Kouen's present was also inside a scroll, which was tied with a red ribbon. What she found inside it shocked her. It looked like a katana, but she, Tenten and Naruto knew otherwise. "Naruto, how did you get your hands on such a weapon and why?" the fox-girl asked in a whispered voice that's laced with shock and disbelief._

_Naruto ran his fingers through her fiery red hair, which she let spill down her back, and said, "Because we'll be family one day, since we all know what will happen in a few years." He winked at Ginko and Hinata, who both blushed and smiled. "Kouen, this was also made from the fang of a dragon, but that doesn't mean it's not as powerful as the real deal."_

_"Naruto, what is it?" Ino interrupted._

_"A replica of the sword, Masamune." Everyone gasped, familiar with the legend surrounding the katana. "This katana can channel chakra through it, and since you have all three elements that are great for blades, you should be able to come up with some very powerful attacks for it. Also, this scroll includes a few that can only be done with your Masamune." Kouen nodded before sealing the weapon up and pressing her lips against his own. Once their lips touched, a red aura surrounded them as the vixen thanked him for such a wonderful gift._

_Once she was finished thanking him, Kouen got off and motioned for Tsuki to take her place, which she happily did. Once he regained his senses from Kouen's power flowing through him, he presented a scroll tied with a dark blue ribbon to Tsuki. What she found was a sheathed kodachi with dark blue fabric wrapped around the hilt and the guard shaped like the moon. The guard even has the kanji for moon etched on it. Next was a holster containing three pieces of metal connected by a chain._

_"Tsuki, the kodachi is called the Sapphire Moon. It has enhancing properties to whatever element is channeled into it. Its power works best at night, especially during a full moon. However, its power goes dormant during a moonless night, just so you know. Next is the Nightshade Staff, a three-point pole. It's very durable and the chain can be lengthened with chakra... or youki in your case." Naruto explained. "These two are a pair and can combine, but I'll let you discover that little feature. They also come with attacks; two separately and one together. Make sure you place your blood on the kanji so only yourself or those you trust can use them. This also applies to the rest of you." Tsuki nodded, as did Sakura, Ino, Kouen and Ginko, before sealing her weapons away and kissing him, filling his system with her power as a dark blue aura surrounded them._

_Once they pulled away and Tsuki got off his lap, Naruto found himself being picked up by seven sea-blue tails. He then ended up on Yuki's lap with her tails surrounding him. "Just so you know, I'm not going to kiss you and the mistletoe isn't over our heads." the woman said to him, much to his relief. He just might faint if she were to kiss him... not to mention how Hinata and the vixens would react._

_Looking the lovely vixen in the eyes, he pulled out the last of his scrolls, this one tied with a sea-blue ribbon. "Hinata, Tenten and I have been working on a new jutsu for over a year. We've managed to finish the basics of it, but not the more advanced ideas we have for it. This scroll contains the jutsu that we made. We want to be the only ones to teach it to anyone, which is why I'm giving you this scroll, just in case you want to teach it to the girls before we do."_

_When Yuki opened the scroll, she smiled at what was written in it. She couldn't wait to start learning it. "You know, this might actually rival the Fourth Hokage's jutsu when you have it finished." she said. "You'll teach me the rest once it's finished?" Naruto nodded. Yuki's smile grew before she kissed his forehead, pulling him into a loving embrace. A sea-blue aura surrounded them as the seven-tailed vixen gave him some of her power. 'You'll thank us for this later, kit.' she thought as she felt his heart beat next to hers while they were linked. She also felt several more, including one she hasn't felt in years. They stayed that way for a few minutes before the aura faded, only for her to find him asleep in her arms. She giggled before whispering into his ear, "Merry Christmas, Naruto. May our love remain in your heart forever."_

_xxxxx_

_Later, Naruto woke up, only to find himself in his room with Hinata and Ginko snuggled next to him. "What happened?" he asked them._

_Ginko sat up and looked at him. "We vixens decided to give you some of our power, with Mom giving you the most, next to me. It is a sign of love from us to you." she said, then looked at Hinata and grinned. "But this is the best part."_

_"Which is?" he asked with a raised eyebrow before he saw Hinata grin as well._

_"When we decide to share everything as a sign of our eternal devotion to each other." Hinata replied._

_No more words were spoken because both girls, still dressed in their Christmas outfits, traded kisses with Naruto as they poured their power into him, with Naruto doing the same, for half an hour before they went straight to sleep, never noticing a warm aura enveloping them._

"That was the best day I ever had. No other guy here could say that he was kissed by seven hotties that love him and don't hate each other." Naruto said to the vixen in his arms.

"I know." Ginko nodded. "Care to have an encore?"

"But what about Hinata?" he asked her as they got up and headed inside.

"She can get hers tomorrow, but I want mine tonight." she replied before pushing him onto his bed after they were inside his room. She shut the window and straddled his waist before they united their lips with each other.

xxxxx

The next morning, Naruto woke up with a content Ginko on top of him. He sniffed the air and groaned a little. Ever since the vixen turned twelve, their makeout sessions kept getting more and more heated. He knows why she's like this too, but she told him that it should calm down soon, only to be five times worse after she turns fifteen or sixteen. The trio have already decided that they were going to marry each other, but they had to wait until they were all sixteen. He also knows that if Ginko's urges got worse, he may not be able to resist her without Hinata... unless it started to affect her as well. These urges are because Ginko's in heat due to the amount of love she has for her boyfriend. The fact that she's in the second stage of the kitsune's life cycle makes it worse because she can actually start having kits at this stage, even if she is twelve years old. Naruto and Hinata have to go through puberty, with Hinata having her period once a month. Naruto's the only male that can tolerate her during this time. To his surprise, her hormones make her just as bad as Ginko, though she's not trying to get fresh with him, much to his relief. With anyone else, she tends to be moody, possibly even violent if pushed. It's bad enough dealing with Ginko's hormones, which won't calm down for awhile. If he had to deal with Hinata's too, who knows what would happen!

He looked up at the vixen and decided to get her up, as they had some time and she could use more of the maelstrom to calm her body down. He kissed her on the lips and held it until she started to respond, which took a moment. Sometime during their hour-long makeout session last night, they have discarded their shirts again, so he was treated to her sky-blue sports bra as he sated his girlfriend's hormones as best as he could without getting too intimate with her. After they pulled away, they picked up their shirts and the three-tailed fox-girl left the room to get ready for the day, even though she's going to spend most of it in her true form.

xxxxx

Elsewhere, a pair of pale lavender eyes opened to see a mop of dark brown hair. Hinata Hyuuga smiled as she gazed at the now seven-year-old Hanabi. The little girl knew that today was special and wanted to keep her company last night. That and she wanted to know more about her sister's boyfriend. To Hinata's dismay, Hanabi doesn't remember Naruto all that well, though she wasn't too surprised by it. The girl was two the last time she saw him. She knows that Naruto wishes to see her and misses the little girl dearly, mainly because they grew an attachment to each other when they were younger. He hopes that once she sees him again, that attachment will resurface.

When Hanabi's eyes opened, they both smiled and rubbed their noses together. They then got up and shared a brief hug. Hanabi waited for her sister to enter her bathroom before she left. The Hyuuga sisters know that Naruto gave his friends more than just a sub-element that Christmas. Somehow, he was able to improve their bodies to that of a vixen's, looks and all. However, that didn't kick in until they turned twelve. The first one to experience it was Tenten, which was the morning after the party. At first, he was confused until he remembered Kushina and Yuki telling him that his gift will alter the girls' bodies to not only be able to handle the change, but to be that much more beautiful, which was another gift from Kushina. Since then, the girls kept their new bodies hidden with Naruto's True Transformation Jutsu, which he taught them that day, until they knew it was time to reveal themselves. Even Naruto does the same, though it's mainly to hide the fact that he's as built as a sixteen-year-old from all the intense training he's been doing over the years, especially under Guy and Tsunade.

Hinata came out her bathroom, wrapped in a white bathrobe, after combing her hair. Since her mother's death, she decided to let her hair grow out. Right now, it reached the middle of her back. Ino and Sakura did the same, though Ino's hair reached her waist. She then got dressed in her usual attire; a midnight blue ninja shirt and pants, a mesh undershirt and a light, beige jacket with fur lining the bottom and the Hyuuga insignia on the left sleeve. She got the jacket from her father on her tenth birthday so none of the boys got any funny ideas, especially with her bodyguard/boyfriend present. Just thinking of some pervert staring at her chest makes her want to introduce their groin to the special jutsu she and her friends have made. Shaking the negative thought out of her head, she put on her gear before leaving her room to breakfast.

xxxxx

As usual, Naruto, Hinata and the vixens are the first ones in the classroom. Looking around to see if it's safe, they sigh at the thought of not being able to express their love in public. However, that doesn't stop her from leaning into his arms and giving him a quick peck on the cheek, which he responds in the same way. Their friends file in, with Shikamaru going straight to sleep after mumbling a quick hello to everyone. Ino and Sakura were the last to enter, only to shake their heads at Shika's lazy attitude before kissing Naruto's cheeks at the same time. This was a common thing for them. Ever since the Christmas party, every time they come into class, all three girls say hi to Naruto by kissing his cheek. In a way, he considers Ino and Sakura his sisters, as they certainly act like it sometimes, minus the times they want to relax with him, then people might assume he's dating them.

Once others started to file in, Hinata sat up with a slight frown, as she didn't want to leave her favorite spot. The three vixens, on the other hand, are all in different locations. Ginko's currently between her boyfriend and future sister-in-law, enjoying their petting. Tsuki's in a similar position between Ino and Sakura as they talked about fashion and the latest gossip. As for Kouen, she's having a private conversation with Shino as she feigns sleep. Only their friends know about the red fox-girl dating the Aburame heir for the past nine months. Fortunately for her, she's not experiencing the hormonal problem that Ginko is. Even Tsuki found someone she's interested in, but hasn't seen him in over a year. Ino and Sakura aren't seeing anyone at the moment, though Ino did date Shikamaru for a few weeks, but they broke it off. Some say that opposites attract. Unfortunately, that saying doesn't apply to them.

All conversation ended when Iruka and Mizuki entered the classroom. "Settle down, class!" Iruka said, getting everyone's attention. Everyone sat down, fearing the scarred chūnin's Big Oni Head Jutsu. "All right everyone, listen up! It's time for the Graduation Exam. Now, I hope you all have been studying, for you're going to need it. First, we'll start with the written test. Then move on to the practical portion of the exam, which consists of accuracy, stealth, combat and jutsu in that order. Mizuki here will pass out the test. Keep them facedown and do not turn them over until we start. You have one hour to finish the test. If you're caught cheating, you automatically fail." After Mizuki passed out all the test papers and everyone had their pencils, or in Naruto's case a special snow-white feather that exudes erasable ink with his chakra, Iruka looked at the clock and waited for the second hand to stop at the top. "Begin!"

As one, all the test papers were flipped over as the test begun. Naruto quickly skimmed through his test and noticed that all of the questions were extremely hard. 'What the hell? Half of these questions we didn't even cover, and some of it wasn't even covered during my summer training! How the hell are we supposed to answer such hard questions?' he wondered, but then sensed that something was off. 'Wait a minute, why does my test paper have the scent of chakra on it?' During his training, the vixens drilled him on honing his senses. His nose is almost as good as a fox's, as are his ears. He can sharpen his eyesight to adjust to moving at high speed. His sight is nowhere near Hinata's, but it's good enough for him. He's even able to sense chakra and even smell it, something that the Inuzukas can't do. Their partners could, but they themselves couldn't. The fact that his paper has the scent of chakra meant only one thing. 'Looks like Mizuki wants me to fail for some reason. Why else would he put a genjutsu on my test?' Even if others didn't notice, Naruto could sense the hatred the assistant academy instructor has towards him and the vixens. He wasn't really surprised that he tried to sabotage his test. He's done it before, and each time, he managed to break the weak genjutsu with a mere thought. He may not be too good with casting genjutsu, but it's not easy to catch him in one. Growing up in a house full of kitsunes pushed that point even further.

After taking a few more sniffs to gauge the strength of the genjutsu, which he determined was quite strong for a chūnin, he easily broke it without nobody but Hinata and the vixens noticing, since they were familiar with him breaking genjutsu-rigged tests. He finished the test, which was rather easy on his part, in thirty-five minutes before going over and checking his answers, then checking for anymore genjutsu. After he was done, he flipped his test over, gazed at Mizuki and gave him a taste one of his favorite skills: Murderous Intent. He uses this on people who have it coming or have a death wish, the latter when he's really pissed off. Right now, Mizuki has both.

For his part, Mizuki held up pretty well when he saw his very gruesome death at the hands of a very furious redheaded woman garbed in ANBU armor, wearing a phoenix mask and wielding a blood-red katana that's dripping in blood. A bead of sweat slipped down, barely noticeable by anyone, as he shook the image out of his head. It was foreboding.

Once the hour was up, Iruka collected the tests graded them while Mizuki took the students outside for the practical portion of the exam. He wasn't surprised that many of them aced the test, Naruto being one of them. Many of them claimed that the boy cheated, but he knew otherwise. He kept his eyes on each of the students, but Naruto most of all. The boy has told him about his tests being rigged with a genjutsu and was able to sense when the boy dispels them, since he knows that genjutsu isn't his strong point. He looked up briefly, only to see three small foxes wave at him with their tails before they left the classroom. He chuckled at the sisters, since Naruto made sure he was privy to this particular piece of knowledge.

xxxxx

Outside on the training field, Mizuki watched the forty-six students as they waited for him to explain the next part of the exam. "Okay class, this next part is on accuracy. You will each be given a choice of eight shuriken, kunai, senbon or a mixture of the three. You'll stand at this line next to me as you throw them at the target dummy ten meters away. Each target is worth up to ten points. You will need at least seventy points to pass. Any questions?" Seeing that there were none, he started at the top of the list.

Shino went first, who chose all kunai. He scored a seventy-five, as one of his kunai was two inches off target. Chouji was next, who went with all shuriken. He scored a seventy-three, as three of his shuriken were off by an inch or two. When it was Sakura's turn, she went with two kunai, two shuriken and four senbon. Each of her senbon were on target as were her shuriken, but her kunai were off by an inch or two, so she got a seventy-seven. Hinata went with all senbon and got a perfect score. Kiba went with all shuriken, and missed with two of them. Shikamaru went with all kunai and got a near bullseye with each one, earning him a seventy. Sasuke went with four shuriken and four kunai and got a perfect score. Naruto did the same thing, though his kunai went deeper than Sasuke's. Ino followed Naruto's lead and got a perfect score as well, but her kunai weren't as deep as his or Sasuke's.

It was at this time that Iruka came out and looked at the scores. After nodding to himself, Iruka led them to the next portion of the exam. "Okay class, this next part is on stealth. What you see here is a maze that was built by three of our best ANBU. You will each have ten minutes to make it to the other side. Also, there are bells, chimes and all sorts of noisemakers in there. Each time you run into one, you are penalized. Also, because of the size of the class, we'll send each of you through in one minute intervals. One more thing, if you're caught cheating, and yes we have eyes in that maze, then you'll fail this portion of the exam." After Iruka was done with the rules, he pulled out a stopwatch and sent the students in there one at a time every minute.

Shino got through in about four minute, which was the average time for most gennin. Chouji took about five minutes, though he was penalized twice. Sakura was penalized once when she didn't notice a tripwire and tripped, but finished a few seconds faster than Shino. Hinata got the fastest time so far of two and half minutes, which she knew was a few seconds slower than her cousin's time when he did this last year. Kiba got through in three minutes, but hit three of the traps. Shikamaru sailed through in four minutes flat. Sasuke's time was three and a half minutes. Naruto did the best, getting through in a minute and a half without a sound being made. Not even his footfalls were heard. Even the eyes and ears inside the maze, which consist of several chūnin, a few jounin and the three ANBU that built the maze, were shocked. The ANBU were impressed, since he displayed skills that rivaled their own. Ino made through a bit slower than Sakura, but she didn't hit any of the traps.

After the last student made it through, Iruka turned it back over to Mizuki as they led the students to the sparring arena. "Okay class, this next part is on combat, and I know that it's the favorite of many of you boys." Mizuki paused here as some of the boys cheered. "Anyway, since there's an even number of both boys and girls, you'll each be paired up and graded on your performance. It's only a simple spar that will last two minutes. Remember, you are not trying to win. This is just to gauge your skills to see if you can handle real combat." He then went over to where a pair of raffle wheels sat, each full of plastic eggs. "Okay, we'll start with the ladies first, then the guys." Some of the boys booed, but Mizuki tuned them out. He spun one of the wheels, which contained the least amount of eggs, and pulled out two eggs after a few revolutions.

Hinata, Sakura and Ino were fortunate that they didn't go up against each other. They each showed great skill as Ino and Sakura showed their skill in the Medical Taijutsu that Tsunade and Shizune taught them while Hinata put her clan's Gentle Fist Style on display. The boys weren't so lucky. Shikamaru and Shino were the first match. Shika wanted to quit, but he knew it would annoy Ino, so he went with it, putting in the minimum effort. For the past three years, Ino would use her senbon as a way to 'motivate' him. An idea she got from Shizune. Chouji fought someone who insulted him and called him fat, which caused Ino, Shikamaru, Sakura, Hinata, Naruto and the vixens to pale. The match was over quick, as Chouji's opponent didn't stand a chance against an enraged Akimichi. Naruto and Ino had to step in and calm Chouji down. Kiba performed well, though he was miffed that he wasn't allowed to fight with his ninja dog, Akamaru, who he received on his eighth birthday. What surprised most was that Naruto and Sasuke were paired up. They both showed great skill, but Naruto was better, even though he used basic taijutsu as he did not want the Uchiha to see neither his clan's style or the style he's been learning from Guy. This had many of the girls shout that he was cheating and Sasuke wanting a rematch, only for Iruka to silence the girls and Naruto to bluntly decline the Uchiha's demand. When Sasuke tried to demand again, he saw Naruto looked over his shoulder to send a deadly glare at him, which had an image the phoenix ANBU with the bloody sword standing in front of him. This unnerved the boy greatly and wondered how the loser, as he calls Naruto, did that.

After the matches were finished, everyone went back into the classroom where the final test would be administered. "Okay. Finally, we've reach the final portion of the exam: jutsu. Mizuki and I will call you into the other room where we shall administer the final test. After it is over, depending on how you did on the others, you will either receive your headband or not. If you do, then you are to report back here on Monday. Either way, once your test is finished, you're free to go. Now, Shino Aburame, you're up first." With that, Iruka, Mizuki and Shino left the room.

As the other waited for their turn, some decided to pass the time by talking to their friends. Naruto and the girls were the most animated, as they each wished each other good luck and to end up on Naruto's squad, since he works well with all of them. Amongst them, Naruto, Hinata and Ino work the very best as a three-man squad. They even decided to become an unofficial team called the Shugomori, with Sakura, Tenten and her teammate, Rock Lee, being secondary members. They chose that name for their love of the forest and how natural the terrain felt to them.

One by one, each of the friends left, then came back to wait for the others. Each of the friends passed, though some of the others weren't as fortunate. Kiba and Sasuke also passed, the latter receiving the fanfare of his fangirls. When Naruto was up next, the three girls kissed his cheek one by one as a sign of luck before he went into the next room with the three vixens in tow.

"Okay, Naruto. Are you ready?" Iruka asked him.

"Yes." was his one word answer.

"Good. First is the Escape Jutsu. Mizuki, if you would." Naruto sat down in a chair while Mizuki tied him up with a rope. Once he was tied up, he closed his eyes and, after three seconds, the ropes fell off around him. Mizuki looked shocked at that, but it was only for a split second.

"Very good. Next is the Replacement Jutsu." Iruka then threw a kunai at the student, only to see a second kunai in the boy's place. Then, a section of the wall turned white, revealing itself to be a sheet, before it fell to reveal the smiling blond.

After he dismissed the sheet, he sat back down with the three vixens hopping onto his lap. "Well done. And I guess that counts for the Disguise Jutsu as well." said Iruka with a chuckle. "Next is the Transformation Jutsu."

"Um, does it matter who I transform into?" Naruto asked.

"No, not really. As long as it isn't someone that is made up." Iruka answered. Naruto snapped his fingers in disappointment. He then got up, sat the vixens in the chair, then snapped his fingers again. A puff of smoke later and a man that looks strikingly similar to Naruto stood in his place, but was garbed in a jounin attire with the vest to match, a leaf headband and a white coat with red flames on the bottom and red kanji for 'Fourth Hokage' on the back. To make it more convincing, he pulled out an unusual kunai that was longer than the standard kunai, has a three-pronged blade and a paper tag wrapped around the handle.

"Interesting, don't you think?" the man asked as he touched each of the three tips of the kunai before holstering it. Seeing their shocked faces, he smirked before snapping his fingers, concealing himself in a cloud of smoke. Once it cleared, a young girl was in the man's place. She has long blonde hair tied in a pair of pigtails, soft green eyes and a body that can make some older women jealous. She's garbed in a tight black t-shirt, dark orange shorts, dark orange wristbands, black high-heeled sandals and a dark orange outdoor vest with the top part being black.

"Um, excuse me?" she said as she leaned down a little with a finger touching her lower lip; a pose that would have many boys wanting to ask her out, despite its innocence.

"Okay, Naruto. You can cut it out now." said an annoyed Iruka after he regained his composure from the shock of seeing Naruto transform into the Yellow Flash, which he idly noted the similarities, then turning into his female counterpart: Naruko Uzumaki.

Only Naruto knows that this form came about when Ino sort of dared him to create it, saying that it would help him in his relationship with his two girlfriends. Naruko's appearance is based off of Ino's and tweaked so no one would ever know nor could figure it out. Simply put, Naruko has the perfect female body; one that any man would want. Not surprisingly, this made other girls a little jealous. Unfortunately, the other girls found out about it, but still have no idea of Ino's involvement. Their reactions varied, but they got over it and were impressed with the jutsu's realism after Hinata used her Byakugan to confirm just how real it is, though that was a rather embarrassing experience for both him and her.

After Naruto changed back, he waited for any further instructions. "Okay, one more and you're done. I want you to create at least two battle ready clones." Iruka said to him.

Naruto blinked. "Does it have to be regular clones?"

Both chūnin raised an eyebrow. "Do you know any other type of clone jutsu?" Mizuki asked.

"Yes because I can't learn the Clone Jutsu." Naruto replied. "I was told that there will be some jutsu that I just can't learn, and that seems to be one of them." He then reached into his supply pouch and pulled out a special canteen. The reason it is special is because it contains about five gallons of water instead of the normal twelve ounces. After taking a swig, he screwed the cap back on before putting it back in his pouch. He then took a deep breath and blew out a stream of steam until it formed and solidified into two clones of Naruto, flanking the original. "Will steam clones do?" the original asked.

Both chūnin got up and approached one of the clones. The two clones extended their hands and the two men shook them, finding them to be real and not illusions. 'Amazing. Who knew you could actually make clones out of steam.' Iruka thought, amazed.

'Impossible! I thought the brat couldn't make clones!' Mizuki raged before he tightened his grip on the clone, only to find it able to match it for a few seconds before it turned into steam, soaking Mizuki's hand.

"Careful. Someone could use that water against you." Naruto lightly warned as he dismissed his other clone.

Iruka shook his head with a smile. "Very impressive, Naruto. No one has been able to create steam jutsu before. Care to explain how you did it?" Naruto shook his head. "Oh well. Here is your headband. You passed as the Rookie of the Year. Congratulations." After Iruka gave Naruto one of the headbands on the table, Naruto picked up the vixens and headed out. He sat with his friends and waited for Ino to do hers before they were to leave.

xxxxx

Outside the academy, many adults and teenagers were waiting for their children or siblings as they each left the building. Many were surprised that Naruto passed and openly scowled at him, who chose to ignore it in favor of a very happy Yuki, who congratulated him on passing as the Rookie of the Year. She then privately informed him that Tsunade would have been here as well, but she had something to take care of that will take a few months and he knew that Jiraiya was on a mission and won't be back for at least two months, much to his dismay. He'll have to ask Sarutobi to inform Jiraiya and Tsunade of his achievement, since the mental link between him and the woman was cut for today.

After the friends decided to celebrate at Naruto's favorite eatery after he made a quick stop somewhere, he and Yuki vanished in a flurry of white rose pedals.

xxxxx

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his office, waiting for his lunch break, when he heard someone knock on his door. "Yes, come in." The doors opened, revealing Naruto and the entire Youko family. "Ah, Naruto. Congratulations on becoming the Rookie of the Year."

"Thank you, Sarutobi." Naruto replied. "I have a favor, if you don't mind."

"Let me guess. You want me to inform my students of your success?" When Naruto nodded, Sarutobi waved it off. "I already have. Jiraiya was a bit sad that he couldn't make it so he could officially make you his apprentice and Tsunade and Shizune were also sad that they couldn't make it, but they have something urgent to take care of first."

"I know for a fact that Jiraiya is on a mission because he told me he won't be able to make it, but what about Tsunade?" Naruto asked.

"I wish I knew. She won't tell me what it is. All she said is that it requires her immediate attention and that once she's done, she'll return as soon as she can." Hiruzen replied, then perked up. "She did say that once she returned, it'll be to stay... unless you wanted to leave with her."

Naruto smiled. He'll be able to finally stay with his godmother instead of only seeing her for three months out of the year, even if he could mentally speak to her during the day.

"Oh, Naruto. Before you leave, I need you in my office tomorrow morning at eight. There's something I have to tell you." the Hokage said to him before turning to fox woman. "Yuki, make sure you come along too. You and your children would want to be present."

"Yes, I understand." she replied before they left the office.

'Hiashi, I hope you know what you're doing.' Sarutobi though as he remembered the conversation he had with the Hyuuga clan head last week.

_Hiashi and Sarutobi were having a private meeting in his office. The room was silenced for secrecy. Hiashi decided to reveal something he has kept from everyone for many years. _

_"So, what do I owe the honor of this meeting, Lord Hiashi?" Sarutobi asked the white-eyed man._

_"I have something that only I am privy to before it is discovered some other way."_

_"And what would that be?" Sarutobi wondered as his curiosity started to wander._

_"The fact that my daughter and her boyfriend are, in a way, a lot alike."_

_"What do you mean, Hiashi?" Now, he is confused._

_"Well..."_

xxxxx

The group of long time friends sat at a small restaurant with about half a dozen tables. It's called Ichiraku's; a place that serves the best ramen in the village. Naruto's been coming here for years. At first, it was a small ramen stand owned by a father-daughter duo. Now, it is a small restaurant with several employees. Kouen works part-time here until Naruto became a ninja, where she'll have to quit because she'll be going on missions with him as one of his familiars. The two owners know this and are a little sad to see her go, but knew that she had to, as she needs to stay beside Naruto.

Today is Thursday, which is Kouen's only day off, and she's sitting beside Shino in her human form as Tsuki sat between Ino and Sakura and Ginko sat on Naruto's right with Hinata on his left. Chouji and Shikamaru are sitting next to each other as the others conversed amongst themselves and a beautiful seventeen-year-old girl who's currently on her break. She has long brown hair that's tied back by a white bandana, brown eyes and dressed in a white waitress outfit. Her name is Ayame Ichiraku, daughter of Teuchi Ichiraku, a retired ninja chef and now co-owners of the restaurant.

"So all of you passed? That's great!" Ayame said in a happy voice.

"Not only that, but Naruto and Hinata are the top rookies." Sakura added.

With a big smile, Ayame slipped behind Naruto and hugged him. "Congratulations, Naruto. Keep it up and you'll be Hokage in no time." she said. She has known the blond maelstrom ever since she was eight years old. Naruto was their best customer and she quickly become one of his closest friends. Like with Ino and Sakura, he sees her as an older sister. However, they have never kissed except on the cheek.

Naruto turned around and returned the hug. "Thanks, Ayame. I even got the fastest time in the stealth maze." he said.

"I heard that Neji held that score." Ayame mentioned, recalling that Tenten told her this last year.

"Not anymore. Naruto got through it in about ninety seconds without a single sound being made." Ino chimed in.

"Wow! Not even my dad was that fast at your age." said Ayame.

"Training in the forest is great for stealth training, especially when I have pursuers." Naruto remembered all the games of tag he played with his ANBU friends. It's the only reason why hardly anyone could track him, especially in the forest, where he's most comfortable in.

"So why isn't Lady Tsunade here? I thought she would want to be?" the head chef, Teuchi, asked from the counter.

"The Hokage said she had an emergency to take care of. Who knows when she'll be back." Naruto replied.

"Speaking of which, Mom said that we have to get home soon. She has a surprise for us." Ginko whispered into Naruto ear.

'Come to think of it, Mom said the same thing, though I won't get to see it until tonight when I go to sleep.' Naruto thought to himself.

xxxxx

It was sunset and Naruto and Ginko are sitting on the roof, waiting for the moon to rise. With them is Hinata, who arrived with news she got from her father.

"Father said that I need to go see to the Hokage tomorrow morning." she said.

"Us too. You think it's for the same reason we're going?" Ginko asked.

"Maybe, but what could it be?" Hinata wondered. Naruto and Ginko shrugged.

As the three lovebirds watched the sun go down, both girls snuggled up to Naruto, they heard a sound in the distance. Hinata activated her Byakugan and saw one of the failed graduates a few hundred meters from the house. She wondered how she was able to hear him. She expected that Ginko could with her sensitive ears and Naruto could, as Yuki taught him how to listen to the wind. However, her ears aren't as sensitive as the vixen's and her wind training hasn't progressed that far yet.

"What do you see?" Naruto asked her.

"I see one of our classmates who failed by a shack a few hundred meters from here. He has some kind of huge scroll with him." Hinata described.

"Hmm... should we investigate?" Ginko asked.

"I think so. Not many go to that shack, especially at this time of night." Naruto replied before Ginko went into the house to inform the others before all three left, with Kouen and Tsuki following as back up while Yuki went somewhere else.

xxxxx

At the shack, a young boy with short brown hair was busy reading a large scroll when he heard something from behind him. Turning around, he saw nothing, then then jumped when someone tapped his shoulder. "Hey, calm down." the person said.

The boy turned around and saw Naruto. "What? Naruto, what are you doing here?" the boy asked.

"The forest is my home. What are _you_ doing here?" Naruto asked him. "No one ever comes to this shack anymore, especially at night. And what's with the scroll?"

"It's a test that Mizuki-sensei told me about." the boy explained.

"What kind of test?"

"A test for those who didn't graduate." Both boys sat down and the brown-haired boy explained further. "He said that if I could steal this scroll and learn a jutsu from it in four hours, then I'll pass and become a ninja."

Naruto looked at the scroll and saw a jutsu he recognized. 'The Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu? But that's a B-rank forbidden technique. Even jounin have problems with this one!' He read on and found many different jutsu in it; each one just as forbidden as the last and many of them extremely dangerous. He sighed as he rolled it up. "Kid, you've been tricked. This scroll is full of forbidden jutsu that could very well kill you if you tried to learn one of them. Most likely, a chūnin like Mizuki wouldn't know about them and neither should we."

"How do you know?" the boy asked.

"Because this is the Scroll of Forbidden Seals, for the Hokage's eyes only." Naruto stated, thanks to the information he received from Yuki moments ago. It's not a secret that he runs errands for the Hokage. Of course, Sarutobi never told him about the scroll, so bending the truth a little couldn't hurt in this case.

The boy's eyes widened as he began to piece things together. "Then that means..."

"Mizuki may have set you up to take this scroll from you." Naruto finished. "Go on home and don't tell anyone about the scroll or where you found it, okay?"

The boy nodded before he quickly left.

Once the boy was gone, six figures surrounded him, two of them wearing masks. "You ANBU better get out of sight. If Mizuki's looking for the scroll, we need to find out why."

The two ANBU nodded before one disappeared. "What about the scroll?"

"I'm going to look through it. They may be forbidden to many jounin, but I can handle a few of them." Naruto replied with a sly smile. "Relax, kitty. I'll be fine. We have about three hours or so before Mizuki is supposed to arrive."

The ANBU, who is a woman with long purple hair wearing a cat mask, shook her head. "Be careful, Naruto." she whispered before she vanished.

"I always am." he said before opening the scroll and searching for the jutsu that caught his interest while informing the Hokage and Yuki of the situation.

xxxxx

Nearly three hours later, Naruto sat against the shack, waiting for Mizuki to arrive. Hinata and the vixens hid with the ANBU so the chūnin wouldn't expect anything. Naruto also turned into the boy and found a log to disguise as the scroll, which now resides in the cat-masked ANBU's capable hands.

Suddenly, a figure landed a few feet in front of him. "I finally found you." the person said.

Naruto looked at the person, surprised at who it is. "Iruka-sensei?" he said, then broke his transformation. "What are you doing here?"

"What? Naruto?" Iruka said, then asked, "What's going on? Why would you steal the Forbidden Scroll?"

"I didn't. One of the kids that didn't graduate did. I was just in the area when he arrived." Naruto replied before he explained what the boy told him.

'What! Why would Mizuki-' Iruka thought, but was interrupted when several kunai made its way toward Naruto. Acting quickly, Iruka pushed him out of the way, but ended being pinned to the abandoned shack. Out of nowhere, Mizuki, with two large shuriken on his back, appeared on a tree branch close by.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here." Mizuki said while grinning.

"Mizuki, I've should have known." Iruka accused.

Mizuki smirked then focused his attention on who had the scroll, which was Naruto. "So _you_ got the scroll? Good work, Naruto. Now, hand it over."

"Why should I?" Naruto asked. "For all I know, you'll kill me after I give it to you!"

"Don't do it, Naruto! Mizuki's only wants the scroll for his own power." Iruka told the boy.

"Don't listen to that dribble. He's only interested in the scroll and doesn't care about you." Mizuki lied.

"Stop lying to him!" Iruka said angrily.

"You're the one who's lying! Pretending like you care when you really hate him for what he did twelve years ago." Mizuki shot back, again lying.

"Don't you dare tell him, Mizuki!" Iruka growled.

"Tell me what?" asked Naruto, confused as to why Iruka would hate him, though ignored it as he was focused on the situation. Mizuki's grin got bigger.

"Don't tell him, it's forbidden!" Iruka shouted.

"He doesn't want me to tell you that the Nine-Tailed Fox is living inside you!" Mizuki smirked at Naruto's shocked and confused reaction. "The same fox that killed Iruka's parents and destroyed our village is living inside your body."

'What? What kind of crap is he spouting now?' Naruto thought, but then remembered all the times he was called a monster, a demon and other such names by those who were filled with hatred towards him, not to mention the recurring nightmare he had several years ago. 'C-Could it be true?' "No... i-it can't be true." Naruto started to panic.

"It _is_ true, Naruto. The fox spirit has entered your body and has taken you over. You are the Nine-Tailed Fox!" the chūnin in the tree shouted.

Due to Mizuki's words, Naruto's panic quickly turned to anger. His chakra then became visible, swirling around him in a cerulean blaze.

"Die Naruto!" Mizuki grabbed one of his shuriken and threw it. The shuriken's target was... Naruto.

"NARUTO, GET DOWN!" Iruka shouted.

Naruto did not register Iruka's words and simply stared at the giant shuriken as it headed straight for him. He sensed Iruka moving towards him and knew that if he didn't stop him, he'll get badly hurt. As quick as a flash, he appeared ten feet away and caught the shuriken in his right hand before the scarred chūnin could reach his previous position. The sudden shock only lasted for two seconds before Naruto threw it back at Mizuki... with five times the force!

Due to his ninja training, Mizuki was able to dodge the weapon before it could slice him in half. "You know, if you think I'm buying your crap, you're sadly mistaken." he heard Naruto growl at him.

"I mean, come on. Not only have you tried to sabotage my learning with genjutsu-rigged tests, but you made sure that I was paired up with Sasuke almost every time I spar, probably thinking that my wins against him were simply luck and not skill or that he might actually find a way to defeat me. And to top it all off, you then try to kill me, claiming that I'm a demon fox." Naruto said, then shook his head. "Honestly, I would find it laughable if I wasn't so pissed off for you lying to a student and using him to steal for you. Plus, attempting to kill a comrade is an act of treason, you know. So I'm completely in my right to do this." He placed his hands into a hand sign he's seen Yuki do many times before. "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

A huge plum of smoke filled the area. When it cleared, hundreds of clones surrounded the area. The bulk of them resided in the trees, preventing any possible escape for the exposed traitor.

'These aren't illusions... they're solid clones. He's mastered an extremely high-level technique!' Iruka thought, proud of his young student.

Mizuki stumbled back, frightened by the sheer number of them, and before he knew it, the army of clones advanced on him, giving him a beating he'll never forget.

After Mizuki's punishment, The real Naruto stood over the traitor while the clones vanished in a large puff of smoke. "Hmm... I think I overdid it a little." he said, scratching above his left ear.

'That's Naruto for you.' Iruka chuckled.

xxxxx

Hidden in the trees, Hinata and the vixens smiled as they saw the scene.

"You know, I don't think he overdid it." Ginko said suddenly.

"Why do you say that?" Kouen asked her.

"Because he tried to kill my boyfriend, even though he wasn't skilled enough to." the silver vixen replied with a smile.

Hinata and Tsuki shook their heads at the silly girl.

Not too far away, the two ANBU smiled under their masks.

"He truly is her son, isn't he?" the cat-masked ANBU said.

"He sure is." the other ANBU, a man who's wearing a tiger mask with short brown hair, replied.

xxxxx

Elsewhere, Sarutobi, Hiashi and Yuki were also watching the whole thing, from Naruto's discovery to Mizuki's defeat. They were impressed by such an event and the display of power by Naruto. They smiled at the accomplishment of the new ninja.

'It's amazing that he could use such a powerful jutsu at his age. He definitely is your son, old friend.' thought Sarutobi.

'Kushina, you must be so proud of him. I just hope he can handle the whole truth.' thought Yuki.

'Incredible. He says he wants to be Hokage someday. I'm starting to think he just might do it. And like before, he'll have the support of the Hyuuga, even if it's only a select few.' thought Hiashi.

xxxxx

A/N: And this wraps up the first arc. Using the information from the first story, I had a hard time writing this arc, which I mostly did from scratch, using the original chapters one through four as a guideline for the events, along with some of the later chapters to fill in a few blanks. I know I'm going to get a few complaints on some of the scenes in this one, especially with the near mature content that was featured. I'm not going to include scenes of such level in this story, though I might need to raise the rating to M sooner than I expected for safety.

And for those you may have noticed, the mistletoe line came from Batman Returns, though I don't fully remember the line enough for it to be accurate. As always, I do not own Naruto or Batman.

Changes from before: I've decided to take out several things that were shown in the original chapters two, three and four. The first would be Naruto avoiding Hinata. If I didn't mention this before, then with the way Hinata is, she would not allow Naruto to avoid her for any given time unless he was upset at her. Ginko also plays a vital role in keeping these two together. The fact that Naruto is dating both girls is not uncommon or unusual in fanfiction. Unlike some authors, who have the women in the harem making out with each other, this won't have it. The closest it will ever come is both girls kissing him at the same time. That's it. The second change is that Hiashi didn't try to separate them, since I wanted him to remain as the caring father he was at the beginning of the story before Hikari died. Instead, the elders try to separate them, but were thwarted by Hiashi with something I won't reveal until much later. Take your time trying to guess what it is. I'll tell you this. It's not obvious and it concerns Hinata more than it does Naruto. Also, Neji made his appearance in the fourth chapter. He didn't appear in this one, thus the scene where Naruto and Hinata were afraid of their secret relationship getting discovered didn't happen.

The final change is the academy exam and Mizuki's betrayal. I more or less skimmed through what I thought the exam should be. When most people do it, they make it a written test, a test of accuracy, maybe a taijutsu spar and a jutsu demonstration. Now, the demonstration wouldn't include just one jutsu. That's ridiculous. The only reason Naruto failed in the original story is because he was treated worse than he is in this one, he had to hide his potential out of fear that the animosity would get worse and the fact that he is terrible at genjutsu. His Transformation Jutsu is real and he is aware of that in both stories. He didn't know any type of clone jutsu before learning the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu in the other one. In this one, he knows of the Steam Clone Jutsu, an original jutsu that I made up just for my stories. It's similar to the Water Clone Jutsu, but uses steam instead. As for Mizuki's betrayal, instead of going by the anime where he convinces Naruto to steal the scroll, only to be caught by Hinata, who begins to learn it beside him, I've decided that Mizuki would trick another kid who didn't pass and Naruto would discover it. After putting the pieces together, he would set up a trap and expose Mizuki. Just so you know, he doesn't believe Mizuki when he said that he is the Nine-Tailed Fox, but that does not mean he doubts the fact that the fox could be sealed inside of him.

Translations:

Kubara: Red Rose  
Byakubara: White Rose  
Fuukiri: Gale Cutter  
Suibi: Water Tail  
Souga: Hi-Rai: Twin Fangs: Fire and Lightning

Shugomori: Guardians of the Forest

Kouton: Steel Release

Response Corner:

notgonnasay09: I am happy to hear that. I hope you continue to enjoy my story.

Sieti: Actually, Naruto doesn't have a godfather. He didn't have one in my first run of this story, so I saw no point in him having one now. Last time, he never met Jiraiya and I had intended on them meeting after the Chūnin Preliminaries, but I never got past that point in the story before the rewrite.

Gravity The Wizard: Yes, Hikari and Mikoto dying is part of the plot. As for what Kushina meant... well, like how Naruto can visit his mother in his dreams, he can now visit Hikari and Mikoto in his dreams as well. However, unlike with Kushina, he can't talk to them at night. He would need some kind of medium and Naruto's pendant serves as the medium for his mind link with Tsunade and Kushina.

Important Notice: 11/8/2009: Due to problems at home, I will be losing my internet soon. As such, I won't be able to update my stories until further notice. Once I get my internet back, which I am unsure of when that will be, I will resume updating my stories. To my readers, I am sorry. Life can sometimes get in the way of things you want to do. Hopefully, you won't have to wait very long.

Story Update: 11/29/2009: As I was doing research, I discovered that I made an error while writing this chapter. Said error has been corrected. The error consists of the word Menton. It has been changed to Kaneton and I'll make the necessary corrections to this story to fully fix this error.

Story Update: 12/6/2009: Thanks to a review from Primus2021, I was able to correct the mistletoe line I used. Thank you, Primus.

Story Update: 1/10/2010: As I was doing more research, I discovered that I made a mistake. When I corrected an error I made while writing this chapter, I corrected it incorrectly. The error consists of the word Menton. It was changed to Kaneton and I later discovered this to be wrong. It's now been changed to what it really is; Kouton. I'll make the necessary corrections to this story to fully fix this error.

Here's a preview of the next arc: Naruto and the gang are now ninjas. What lies in store for them as they experience the true life of a ninja? And what does Hiashi mean when he said that Hinata and Naruto are a lot alike?

Later!


	8. Arc 2 Chapter 1

**The Kitsune and the Neko**

"Talking"  
'Thoughts'  
**Inner/Demon/Deity/Dire Beast  
**_Flashback/Mind Link_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Arc 2: Ninja Life  
Chapter 1: Truth Unveiled**

Naruto opened eyes when he felt something wet land on his face. He sat up and saw that he was no longer inside his bedroom nor was he in the place he called the dreamscape where his mother and surrogate aunts were waiting for him. No, where he was looked like a cross between a sewer and a dungeon. Looking around, he saw pipes running across the ceiling that are leaking, which explained why it was somewhat flooded. Some of the pipes gave off a blue glow, some of the larger pipes gave off a red glow and some of the smaller pipes gave off a golden glow. He looked around some more and saw Hinata and Ginko, in her half-fox form, on the floor like he was. He rushed over to them and woke them up.

Once they were up, they noticed a soft voice singing. They found it very familiar, but could not figure out where they heard it from. Nodding to each other, they decided to find the source of the singing. After some walking, they found themselves in a room so huge, the ceiling wasn't even visible. The far wall was actually a massive gate that has a paper tag with the kanji for seal on it keeping it closed. They saw that in front of the cage was Yuki, who they figured out was the one who was singing. Off to the side are Kouen and Tsuki, who are both staring at their mother in confusion.

Naruto cleared his throat, which prompted Yuki to stop her song and look at them. "Oh good, you three are here. Now we can get to why we're all here." she said before snapping her fingers, summoning two couches and a coffee table between them. Naruto sat on one with Ginko and Hinata flanking him while Tsuki and Kouen flanked Yuki on the other. "Okay, what I'm about to tell you is strictly confidential, for it is time I reveal a few things I have withheld from you all, such as the reason my family is here." When the five teens nodded, she continued. "Naruto, when Mizuki said that the Nine-Tailed Fox is sealed inside you, he wasn't lying. As you can see, we are in your mind's representation of the seal. The only reason the rest of you are here is because I was the one who brought you here. Otherwise, you would need Naruto to bring you here, but he doesn't know how to yet."

The five teens looked at Yuki in disbelief. "T-Then what Mizuki said was true? That I am the Nine-Tailed Fox?" Naruto said, worried that he might have to leave his friends before they turned against him.

"No. Mizuki was lying to you by bending the truth to make you lose yourself to the realization. If I never appeared in your life, it may have worked." Yuki replied, and then smiled. "Besides, you're far too young to be the fox. You see, I am one of his most trusted advisors... as well as his mate."

"HIS WHAT?" they shouted.

Suddenly, they heard movement on the other side of the cage before a massive red eye appeared. **"Hey, could you keep it down? Some of us are trying to sleep."** grumbled a deep, demonic voice before the eye vanished, only to come back in stereo a few seconds later. **"Yuki, is that you?"**

"Yes, my lord. It is I." Yuki said as she got up and walked toward the cage.

The two red eyes vanished once she reached the cage. Out of the darkness came a man as old as Yuki dressed in red regal robes with long, spiky red hair and slitted red eyes. He also had two long rust-colored fox ears with black tips and nine rust-colored foxtails. **"Yuki, my love. It's been so long."** the man said.

"Too long, my darling." said Yuki before she slipped through the bars and embraced the man. After they pulled away a little, Yuki turned to address her daughters. "Girls, this is your father, the Kyuubi no Youko."

Everyone else were shocked. Naruto, Hinata and Ginko's boyfriend, has the Nine-Tailed Fox, the three vixens' father, sealed inside of him!

The fox lord laughed at their expressions. **"Somehow, I knew they would have your looks, Yuki."** he said.

"They have your brains, Kyuubi, along with our sense of humor." Yuki added.

Kyuubi chuckled. **"They seem to also have a mate in mind, one of them being my container."** He then turned to face Naruto. **"Tell me, kit. How does it feel to be courting a princess?"**

Naruto's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.

"I think you may've broken him, Kyuubi." said a feminine voice as a third couch appeared.

From a swirl of leaves appeared Kushina, who came over and gave her son a kiss on the forehead. "Congratulations on passing the exam and becoming the top rookie." she whispered into his ear before sitting in the couch.

**"So Kushina, to what do I owe the honor of your presence?"** Kyuubi asked as he summoned a throne for himself while his mate sat on his lap.

"Simply wondering how you're doing. You do know you're sealed inside my son, right?" Kushina asked him.

**"No wonder I felt your essence while I was sealed in him. I thought it was from you."** Kyuubi responded, but then became serious. **"Kushina, I am well aware of what you're trying to do to your son and what my family is trying to do for both him and me, even though my kits aren't aware of it. I'm also aware of the seals that were placed on him to both cripple him and strip him of his birthright. Be glad that Hashirama's granddaughter was able to help him or it would have taken me years to have healed him to where he could use his bloodlines again."** He then turned to Naruto. **"Kit, I was able to make sure that your bloodlines can never be sealed again and that they will always appear in your descendants. Though when yours awakened, it was much more painful than it should have been. This was due to the seals stunting its growth and me speeding it up to where it will be fully developed before you turn ten."**

"That explains why he passed out. It never happened to anyone else before, not even me." Kushina admitted.

"What I want to know is why me?" Naruto asked. "Why did the Fourth Hokage seal you inside me?" He assumed that the Fourth, being a great seal master, was the one who sealed the demon fox inside him.

**"To be honest, I do not know of his reasons. I wish I did, though. But then again, I think I may know why, but I'll let Kushina explain it to you."** Kyuubi replied before motioning to the redhead.

Kushina held out her arms and Naruto sat on her lap as the two held each other. "Naruto, do you remember me saying that there is so much I want to tell you, but I couldn't until you were older?" He nodded. "Well, that time has come. Unfortunately, we need Tsunade-sensei before I can tell you everything. I will tell you that the Fourth Hokage knew of the Uzumaki's strong will and knew that no one else would be able to handle this burden, especially since he and I are good friends. He trusted me, which means that he trusted you."

'She's hiding the truth from me again, but I think I know why.' Naruto thought to himself, then asked, "If he trusted me, then how come no one else did?"

**"Because humans fear what they don't understand."** said Kyuubi. **"The humans in this village have a nasty habit of turning on those they worshipped in some way or another. A war hero committed suicide due to this and another war hero was betrayed by what they did to you."**

"The Fourth Hokage wanted you to be seen as a hero, being the one to keep my mate's anger in check. This is something that only I could do. However, I had to take care of the kits I gave birth to several months prior." Yuki added.

"We have more to tell you, but not until Tsunade comes back. This information affects her as well." Kushina finished. "Now, there are two others I want you all to meet."

As if on cue, Hikari and Mikoto appeared on the couch next to Kushina.

"Mother?" Hinata gasped before she vanished and appeared in her mother's arms, shedding tears of happiness from getting to see her again.

"I've missed you, my little sunshine." Hikari said to her daughter as she let her cry. "You've grown so beautiful over the years and you have gotten Naruto's heart as well. I'm so happy for you!"

"Thank you, Mother." Hinata said to the woman.

'Like father like son in more ways than one.' Mikoto thought as she hugged Naruto while sending Kushina a knowing look.

xxxxx

The next morning, Ginko woke up in a daze. She looked at the clock and saw that it was five in the morning. That's when yesterday's events entered her head, along with what happened after she fell asleep. She lifted up Naruto's shirt and sniffed around his impressive six pack. "I can't believe I missed it." she scolded herself, smelling both youki and a seal on his navel. "So if my father is sealed within him, I can't date him anymore?"

"You can, but you need to control your hormones first." Looking at the door, Ginko saw her mother standing there.

Ginko sighed. "Mom, this is my father's container; the man I love. How can I date him with this information?"

"What do you mean?" Yuki asked as she sat down on the bed.

Ginko looked at Naruto and saw that he's still asleep. "If Daddy knows about all that's happened to Naruto, he'll also know about his time with me. What if he could feel me kissing him?" The concept of kissing her own father in such a way both scared Ginko and grossed her out.

"Ginko, your father told me himself that he doesn't feel what Naruto feels and vice versa. He has no problem with you dating him. But you need to keep your hormones in check before something happens between you two that neither of you want to happen until after you're married." Yuki told her.

"But why can't I control my hormones? They shouldn't be raging at this point in my life unless I was dating a demon." Ginko knew this to be true. Unless she was dating another kitsune, she wouldn't go into heat until her mid to late teens.

"It's because I'm not completely human." came a sleepy reply.

Yuki and Ginko turned to Naruto, only for the blond to lock lips with the latter of the two vixens. Once he pulled away, he looked her straight in the eye. "Ginko, my mother and your father explained to me that because of the seals that tried to break my will and used the sealed youki to slowly kill me, I was slowly turning into a half demon to compensate. However, because of your and Hinata's love as well as the youki your family gave me over a year ago, the changes were reversed. I now have the smell of a human who has the traits of a fox. I think that this is why your hormones are raging. Your body thinks I'm a half demon and wants you to mate with me."

Once he said that, both teens blushed, but Ginko's was brighter. "So that's the reason I'm in heat?" she asked.

"Yes, and until either your body realizes that your potential mate is not ready to give you kits yet or you jump me and relieve those urges, they won't go away." he answered.

Ginko looked at her mother, then her boyfriend before straddling his waist and kissing him. She didn't care that her mother was watching with a mirthful smile. She no longer cared that her father was sealed in her boyfriend and was probably watching as well. She cared about the boy she's currently on top of. Once she broke the kiss, she said, "Naruto, I love you very much and Hinata loves you just as much as I do. We both know that you love us very much. We also know that we're not ready for that type of love yet and I want to give that to you on our wedding night, not when I go into heat. I have too much respect for you to do such a thing to you right now."

Yuki smiled at her daughter, happy that she made the right choice. She silently left the two alone so they can spend some time to themselves before they needed to get ready for the day.

xxxxx

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his office, waiting for his workload to arrive as well as the meeting between himself, the Youko family, Hiashi and his eldest daughter and Naruto.

The meeting itself consisted of three things. The first concerned Naruto directly and what he and his friends heard from Mizuki last night. The second concerned Hinata and what Hiashi has told him about her. And finally, the third concerned the message he received from his two students last night after he informed them of what happened. He hoped that they would get back soon so Naruto doesn't have to wait too long.

His thoughts were interrupted when seven people entered his office. After the door shut, he activated the privacy seals so this information isn't leaked. "Ah, good morning. Please, have a seat." Once they were all seated, Sarutobi began. "I'm sure most of you are wondering why I called you all here." The only ones who didn't nod are Hiashi and Yuki. "Well, there are three reasons why. The first consists of what happened last night. Because you five protected the Scroll of Forbidden Seals from being stolen by Mizuki, it will count as a B-rank mission. Naruto, Hinata, you two will be paid accordingly, but since you three aren't ninjas, I can't pay you the full amount." He pulled out five pouches and handed them to each of the teens, Naruto and Hinata receiving the two larger ones. "Don't open them just yet. Now then. Naruto, your status as the Nine-Tailed Fox's container is considered an S-class secret for not only your protection, but your happiness as well."

"My happiness?" Naruto wondered.

"Yes. You see, when the council discovered what my successor, the Fourth Hokage, had to do to save the village, most of them wanted you dead, thinking that it would kill the fox or that you were the fox. Jiraiya and I were able to convince them that the seal must properly set or the fox would be released upon your death, and the setting process could take several years. They bought it, hook, line and sinker." Sarutobi explained. "Then, I made your status a village secret, never to be spoken to anyone under penalty of death, regardless of your status in the village. Only you and I are immune to this law. They were strictly ordered to never tell the children or you about it at all. This was so you could have a chance at a normal life." He then sighed. "However, that was the best I could do at the time. After the law was passed, I had to find a safe place to put you. Many of the clans, including the Hyuuga, wanted to take you in. However, most on the civilian council, some on the ninja council and even the village elders voted against it, saying that by giving you to one of the clans, they would turn you into a weapon. I knew for a fact that the Hyuuga elders would do that or have you killed within an hour of you being there and that the Uchiha clan would turn you into a weapon for themselves. So I was forced to put you in an orphanage and hoped that someone both kind and caring would adopt you. Unfortunately, the council somehow passed a law saying that you are not allowed to be adopted."

"And why would they do such a thing?" Hiashi asked, though Sarutobi and Yuki could feel the man's killing intent surfacing.

"Why else? To cripple the boy and have him killed." was the Hokage's answer. "There are some on the council that do not believe that if Naruto dies, the seal would be broken. In fact, I know that many on the council have let the information leak out to the public in an attempt to 'purify' the village."

"Unless they have a death wish, this nonsense better stop." said Yuki. "The kids and I spoke with my master last night and he is furious with what has happened in the boy's life."

This took the two men by surprise. "You mean you saw the fox inside Naruto?" Hiashi asked her.

"Saw him? We met him. He is my mate, after all." This one statement had them both wide-eyed and slacked-jawed.

'So that wasn't a dream.' Hinata thought to herself.

"So what did he say?" Sarutobi asked the fox-woman after shaking off the shock.

"He said that if his container is killed by the village, I am ordered to evacuate everyone that the kit trusts before the rest of our clan comes to destroy the Leaf Village." Yuki replied, then turned to her daughters. "Also, I can order it to happen if I find that either myself or one of my daughters are no longer safe here."

"So I assume you're going to make your presence known to the council." Sarutobi said more than asked.

"I have to in order to make them understand the situation their ignorance have caused and the position they put the village and the country in." Yuki then looked out the window. "I have sent someone to inform the Feudal Lord of the situation, as he is well aware of who and what I am. I also need Tsunade and Jiraiya informed as well."

"I'll get to that after this meeting." Sarutobi responded. He then pulled out a scroll from his desk and handed it to Naruto. "Naruto, this scroll is from the Fourth Hokage himself. He told me to give it to you once you've learned of the truth, which would be as soon as you became a gennin."

Naruto nodded before opening the scroll and reading its contents.

_Naruto Uzumaki,_

_If you are reading this, then you are either fifteen or a ninja. I hope it's the latter so you don't have to wait so long. Anyway, what I have to tell you concerns the burden I have, unfortunately, given you. You see, you hold the Nine-Tailed Fox, the guardian spirit of the Land of Fire, within you. I assume most would remember him as a rampaging demon who only knows of death and destruction, but he is really a kind and just spirit who seeks peace among the humans that reside in his territory._

_The reason you were chosen is because, like you mother, you have a strong will and that is a necessity for keeping his power and rage at bay. I was told that someone will arrive to take care of you if your mother does not survive the night, though I hope that she does. This person is also the key to relieving you of this burden, if she hasn't done so already. If you haven't met her already, seek out a woman named Yuki Youko. She is the fox's most trusted advisor and the one who is assigned to be your caretaker. When the time is right, she'll be able to free the fox from you, thus finishing my work._

_My last wish before I am to leave to seal the fox within you is that you are seen as a hero, but I have a feeling that it would not be honored by the village. Whether it is or not, I am so very sorry for doing this to you. I hope you understand that I had no other choice. If I could seal the fox within myself, I would have done it instead. I was also unable to evacuate the village at the time due to your mother being in labor when the fox suddenly appeared._

_Once again, I am so sorry for the burden I have given you. I hope you live a long and happy life._

_Minato Namikaze_

_Fourth Hokage_

_P.S. If you happen to run into a woman named Tsunade or a man named Jiraiya, tell them who you are. Tsunade is your godmother and they both want to train you, since Tsunade trained your mother and Jiraiya was the one who gave you your name._

Once he finished the scroll, he stared at it before looking at the picture of the man who has given him this blessing and curse. A curse because his dying wish was not honored and a blessing because without it, he may have never met Ginko or Hinata.

The others stared at Naruto, wondering what he is about to do. After rolling the scroll up, he stowed it away and said, "I don't know whether to hate him or thank him. Then again, hating him would be pointless considering that my status as Lord Kyuubi's container was leaked. There's no other way to explain it."

Everyone else nodded. If the public didn't know, then Naruto would have been treated like any other child.

"I'm glad you're taking this so well, Naruto." Sarutobi said to him. "Tell me. Did Kyuubi mention anything else?"

"Actually, he did." Yuki replied. "He said that he's been sensing an old acquaintance of his for several years, but he doesn't know where she is."

"Do you know who this acquaintance is?" Hiashi asked her.

"He didn't say, but he did mention the smell of cats." Yuki answered.

"Come to think of it, Hinata smells of cats." Kouen pointed out.

"I've noticed that." said Ginko, then turned to her best friend. "Did you own a cat at one time?"

Hinata shook her head. "According to clan law, we are not allowed to have pets."

Hiashi sighed. It was time to tell her. "I think I can clear up a few things." he said, gathering everyone's attention. "Hinata, the night you were born, I was visited by a spirit. She told me that something terrible has happened and has chosen you to help her fix it."

"Who?" his daughter wondered.

"She called herself Neko." Once he said that, five sets of eyes widened.

"You mean, Lady Neko is here?" Yuki gasped. Seeing the confusion on Hinata's face, she elaborated. "Lady Neko is an old friend of my mate. In fact, they used to have a thing before he and I met. Even though they have long since broken up, I can still see the longing in her eyes every time she looked at him. I was told that she had left on an important mission a few weeks before I did. Now I see that it was to come here. Sadly, I do not know why." She then turned to Hiashi and asked, "Did Lady Neko seal herself into Hinata?"

When Hiashi nodded, Hinata promptly fainted. "I thought she was over this." he mumbled.

After she woke up, Hinata turned to her father and asked, "Is it true? Am I like Naruto?"

"Yes, you are like him. It's one of the reasons why I defended you when the clan elders tried to have you banished to the branch family." Hiashi told her. "I explained to them that Lady Neko is sealed within you to not only fix some kind of disaster that has happened, but to protect you. If they were to banish you to the branch family, she promised to unseal herself from you and kill them all before returning back to the seal."

"She can do that?" Hinata asked, wondering if it was truly possible.

"She said that she can, but only when your life is in danger, and it would only be temporary." Hiashi explained. "I'm afraid that if you want anymore information, you should try to contact her."

Hinata nodded, resolving to do just that later.

"Now, onto our last piece of business." Sarutobi said, gaining their attention. "Jiraiya and Tsunade are aware of last night's incident with Mizuki. They wanted to come back immediately, but they can't due to the business they are dealing with right now. They aren't too pleased and have each sent a representative for the council meeting later today. Just so you know, the incident is one of the topics."

"They're not going to try and take my headband away, are they?" Naruto asked.

"Tsunade said that if they did, she'll pay for a mission to have you brought straight to her immediately, the council be damned." Sarutobi replied.

"What about Master Jiraiya?" Tsuki asked.

"He said that he'll return as soon as he can so he can keep his promise." Hiruzen answered.

"What promise?" Hiashi asked.

"To take Naruto as his apprentice after he graduates." Yuki told him. Hiashi nodded in understanding as he felt a sense of déjà vu hit him. After all, Minato also became Jiraiya's apprentice when he was twelve.

"Is there anything else you have to tell us?" Yuki asked the Fire Shadow. Seeing him shake his head, she sighed. "Then I can tell you why I am here, besides the fact that I am to release my mate from Naruto when his body can truly handle the strain of the unsealing." Seeing everyone give her their undivided attention, she continued. "I was ordered by the Nanabi no Houou to protect her last human heir."

"Last human heir?" Hiashi wondered.

"Yes. Kushina was her last heir before Naruto was born, making him their heir." Yuki told them, then turned to address Naruto. "I am to protect you until the unsealing is a success. After that, I am to take you to her so she can begin your training as her human heir."

"How long would this training last?" Sarutobi asked her.

"I am unsure. Kushina said that hers lasted two years. It could be longer for Naruto, considering the fact that he has a hard time controlling his chakra, even if his control is at high chūnin level." Yuki explained. "Remember, no one is to know about this. If anyone tries to use Naruto to gain the power of the Fenikkusu clan, she'll kill them without hesitation. She's already mad at one of the clans in the village, as is one of her brethren. And no, I won't tell you who that clan is."

Sarutobi held up his hands in defeat. He knew that she knew that he was going to ask, so he might as well not push the issue. "When do you think Naruto will be ready for the unsealing?"

"Around his next birthday is my best guess. I'll need Master Jiraiya to examine the seal and Lady Tsunade to examine his body to determine the exact time." Yuki replied.

Hiruzen nodded. "Well, if there's nothing else, then you are all dismissed."

xxxxx

Later that morning, Naruto, Hinata and the vixens met up with Ino and Sakura. They were currently looking for Tenten, since Arashi told them that she got back from a three-day-long mission late last night. They've also got their pictures taken so it can be put in their profile.

"So how's your training coming along?" Naruto asked the two best friends.

"I've mastered the jutsu you've taught me with them and figured out what they can do." Sakura replied. "Tenten's currently teaching me the next set."

"How many sets are there?" Kouen asked.

"Four." was Sakura's one word answer.

"What about you, Ino?" Naruto asked her.

"The same, though I'm having problems with a few of them." Ino said, then asked, "Could you help me with them later?"

"Sure. We're free until Monday, so why not?" he smiled.

"What about you, Hinata?" Tsuki asked.

"Well, I've gotten all of Naruto's jutsu down, but I need his help on something I have in mind." Hinata replied before turning to her boyfriend. "Could you help me with it... please?" She used a genjutsu on her eyes to make them look irresistible.

Naruto sighed. "Right now?" When she nodded, he shrugged. "Alright. We'll see you ladies later. Say hi to Tenten for us." And with that, Hinata pulled him into the forest.

xxxxx

Elsewhere, Sarutobi was in a meeting with the heads of all the ninja clans and the leaders of the merchant guilds.

"Lord Hokage, why did you allow that boy to become a ninja?" one of the merchants asked the village leader.

"Yeah! He had no business in the academy to begin with!" said another merchant.

"All he'll do is ruin the village's reputation!" exclaimed another merchant.

"SILENCE!" Sarutobi shouted, releasing a heavy amount of killing intent, making it hard for even the war veterans to breathe. "The boy has passed the graduation exam with top marks. He has protected the Scroll of Sealing from a rogue ninja. And finally, he is under the protection of two powerful clans; has been since day one."

"And what are the names of these clans, if I may ask?" asked a man Sarutobi has never liked. He is as old as himself with spiky brown hair with bandages around his right eye. He is also missing his right arm. His name is Danzou, someone the aged Fire Shadow has fought against ever since Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage, passed away.

"They are the Kitsune and Fenikkusu clans, if you must know." said the voice of Yuki as she appeared in a flurry of white rose pedals.

"And who are you?" one of the merchants demanded.

Yuki glared at the man before responding. "I am Yuki Youko, queen of the Kitsune clan. I am here on behalf of the Kitsune King, who is unable to attend this meeting, and my charge, Naruto Uzumaki." She held up her hand to forestall any type of interruption. "Before you piss me off further than I already am, need I remind you that my charge has done nothing wrong to this village. Yet, you have constantly tried to kill him for something that is impossible for him to do when he was only minutes old. The Kitsune King and the Fenikkusu Queen are very angry right now and are looking for the slightest excuse to destroy this village. This is why I am here; to see what your response is and to try to prevent your village's destruction, if possible."

"And why should we listen to you?" another merchant demanded. "We are the strongest ninja village in the world! We can easily stand up to two weak clans!"

"I can destroy a small village unassisted and I am nowhere near as strong as my king, who can annihilate this village in his sleep." Yuki remarked.

"And how can you do that if you're dead?" an old woman sitting next to the Hokage with gray hair tied in a bun said before snapping her fingers. A second later, a squad of ANBU surrounded Yuki.

"Hmph. I'd watch your step if I were you." Yuki warned them. "Kill me and everyone in this village dies. The Fenikkusu Queen is watching us all as we speak. She will not let me die."

"ANBU, arrest her!" Danzou ordered, only to see the ANBU collapse a second later... and Yuki still hasn't moved.

"I am one of the most powerful beings to walk the Earth. Do you really think that a few children could possibly pose a threat to me?" Yuki said as she shifted into her true form, becoming the size of an adult horse. **"You humans are lucky my charge wants to protect this village. Otherwise, you would all be dead right now. This is your only warning. Try to harm him again and your corpse will not be found. Do I make myself clear?"** To push her point further, she unleashed the full amount of her killing intent and even dropped the temperature of the room by fifty degrees. She kept it up for a few moments before she vanished in a blaze of cyan flames. **"Remember this, humans. My warning is no idle threat. If we find out that you are a threat to our territory, we WILL remove you from it!"** Yuki's demonic voice echoed eerily throughout the council chambers as her killing intent slowly vanished.

"Lord Hokage, we must do something!" the old woman said to him.

"And exactly what can we do, Koharu?" Sarutobi asked her.

"We can't let that thing live or it will destroy us all." said an old man sitting on the other side of Hiruzen with short gray hair wearing glasses.

"SHE has already stated her intentions, Homura. She could have easily killed us without the need of revealing her presence or her reason for being here." Sarutobi explained. "Speaking of her presence, no one must mention that she is a fox demon. She might kill you for doing so, so don't push your luck."

"Then why not-"

"No, I will not let you have Naruto, Danzou!" Sarutobi interrupted him. "I told you before. He is not a weapon. Trying to turn him into one now will only get us all killed, especially if he dies because of it."

"How can you be so sure, Hiruzen?" Danzou asked him. "I can bring out his true potential as the fox's container."

"No you cannot. All you want to do is control him." Hiruzen argued before pulling out a scroll from his robes. "This scroll contains an order from the Feudal Lord. It says that Naruto is under his and the Hokage's direct orders, no one else's. So no, I will not give him to you to turn into one of your puppets, Danzou. If you even think of trying it, I'll give him permission to kill you and anyone else that tries to control him." He suppressed a smirk as he passed the scroll around. He received the order this morning and it was effective immediately. He knew that the Feudal Lord was privy to Naruto's complete data. He was told that Yuki expressed her concern as well as everything that happened in the boy's life and wanted to make sure that no one tried that again or it would mean the end of the Leaf Village.

Once everyone got a chance to read it, he pressed on. "Now then. This information is classified as a SS-class secret. Reveal it and you will be executed immediately, regardless of your status." Everyone nodded before they continued on with the meeting.

xxxxx

Hours later, Naruto and the girls were in Ino's room after they all trained as a group with Shikamaru, Chouji and Shino. They talked to their parents and have agreed to stay the night, since they all had a nice sunset picnic not too long ago.

"So Naruto, Hinata, what is this new jutsu you want to teach us?" Ino asked as she looked as cute as possible to make Naruto tell them quicker.

Naruto and Hinata locked eyes with each other before smiling. They stood next to each other and formed two hand signs. "Kitsune/Neko Form Jutsu." they said before they were shrouded in smoke. Once it cleared, everyone saw Naruto with a pair of blond fox ears with black tips and three foxtails with white tips. Hinata, on the other hand, has black cat-like ears with midnight blue markings and a matching tail.

The three vixens' jaws hit the floor as Hinata embraced Naruto and purred as he ran his fingers through her long hair. They knew of Naruto's jutsu, since they helped him create it, but not Hinata's. Ino, Sakura and Tenten, on the other hand, stared at the two with hearts for eyes. "Cute!" they squealed.

Hinata looked at her friends with glazed slitted eyes. "This is what we're going to teach you." she purred. "You can choose which one you want, of course."

"Can we choose both?" Sakura asked. She thought that they both looked so cute like that. She couldn't decide which one she wanted more.

"You want to learn both?" Naruto asked her, to which she nodded. "I guess you can, as I was going to teach you an interesting jutsu that will definitely come in handy." With that, he pulled away from Hinata, who pouted and latched back onto him. "Sweetie, this can wait till later." She pouted again, but let go and went over to Ginko, who proceeded to pet her.

Sakura stood in front of Naruto, waiting for instructions. "Sakura, what I'm about to teach you is a forbidden jutsu that you must not take likely. It is called the Spirit Division." he began to explain. "This jutsu splits your soul in two and transforms part of your chakra into a second body for part of your soul to reside in. I can use this jutsu to summon Naruko, giving her a body of her own. Since we all know that you have a split personality, we might be able to give that personality a body as well."

"Really?" Sakura asked.

_**"Can he really give me a body of my own?"**__ asked a familiar voice that only Sakura can hear. The voice was filled with hope._

_"If what he says is true, then yeah." Sakura mentally replied to the voice, who she referred to as her inner self._

"Absolutely." Naruto said to her. "The first step is establishing a link with your split personality. Then, you must imagine that you are both real and in separate bodies. Once you've done that, form these hand signs and mold your chakra accordingly." He then showed her each hand sign and had her do them. There were twelve in the chain and some of them only the vixens recognized.

It took Sakura fifteen minutes before she was able to go through the entire chain ten times without a single mistake. "Very good. Now, watch me do it so you know how it's done." Sakura nodded and watched as Naruto went through the chain of hand signs. "Hidden Ninjutsu: Spirit Division." he said before his body started to glow. After a moment, the glow faded and Naruko was standing next to him with matching fox features. "It's you're turn." they both said.

Sakura took a deep breath before letting it out and calming her mind. Following Naruto's instructions, she established a link with her inner self. Then, they both imagined themselves as real people in separate bodies. Sakura then formed the hand signs and said, "Hidden Ninjutsu: Spirit Division." A second later, her body glowed in a bright light before it faded a moment later, only to reveal a girl that could pass as Sakura's double standing next to her. The only real difference between them is that she has lime green hair and pink eyes as opposed to Sakura's bright pink hair and green eyes.

The second Sakura was promptly hugged by Naruko. "It worked!" she exclaimed with a huge smile while her tails wagged happily behind her.

The pink-eyed girl was stunned that she now has her own body. That only lasted for a few seconds before she returned the embrace and squealed in happiness.

Once it registered with Sakura, she appeared in Naruto's arms, hugging him and thanking him for what he just did for her.

After the four pulled away, Naruto smiled at the happy pinkette. "Sakura, this jutsu lasts for as long as you want it to. She is as real as you are, but with a few differences. The first is that she has her own mind, separate from your own. You share everything, even memories, up until the point where you gave her a body. Second, she can never become pregnant. Technically, her body is both real and fake. Because it is created from chakra, as well as the chakra I gave you over a year ago, her body is as real as yours is, but is unable to reproduce and will disappear if she dies. What's worse is that if she dies, it's for real. That part of your soul will be lost forever, unable to be recovered, so you both must be careful." The two Sakuras nodded. "Also, she needs a name that is her own."

The green-haired girl looked deep in thought for a minute before a name popped in her head. "How about Haruko?"

Everyone raised an eyebrow at the name. "You know what? I like it.' said Naruko.

"Then Haruko it is." Sakura nodded. Haruko smiled.

"Now that that's done, which one do you want to learn?" Naruko asked the other kunoichis, who all took thinking poses, minus Hinata.

"I think I'll go fox over cat. I was always a little jealous of the vixens at how cute they look." Ino admitted.

"I think I'll go cat instead. Tennyo loves cats and she might want to learn this too." said Tenten, with Hinata nodding in agreement. Hanabi also had a thing for cats, so she would love the idea of becoming part cat.

Sakura and Haruko talked amongst themselves for a minute before nodding. "I'll become a fox." said Sakura.

"And I'll become a cat." Haruko finished.

Naruto and Hinata nodded before motioning the girls to them. Naruto hugged both Sakura and Ino while Hinata hugged both Tenten and Haruko. Seconds later, a warm, blue aura surrounded the four girls as the young couple granted them the ability to learn and use their jutsu.

After several minutes, the aura died down and they pulled away. "Since we created the jutsu, we are the only ones who can teach it to someone. The aura is like our blessing, allowing you the ability to use our jutsu to its fullest." Naruto explained. "Now, imagine yourself becoming either a fox or a cat, depending on whose blessing you received. Next, form these two hand signs, tora and ai. This is similar to my True Transformation Jutsu, and it also requires you to know it beforehand. Now, give it a try." The four girls nodded and began practicing the two hand signs Naruto and Hinata showed them for a few minutes before attempting the jutsu. The results were like this.

Sakura gained a single pink foxtail with a white tip and matching ears on top of her head. Ino was the same, but her fur was platinum blonde. Haruko has lime green markings on her black cat ears and tail, with Tenten possessing brown markings. A notable feature is that all four girls have slitted eyes. With the three cat girls, their eyes seem to glow when light hits them.

Ino and Sakura looked themselves over, then each other before posing in front of Naruto. "So how do we look?" they both asked and winked, causing him to chuckle.

"I'd say that if you two didn't hide and stayed that way, you might need a stick to beat the boys back with." he replied, causing them to laugh.

"Tennyo's gonna love this." Tenten smiled. She can't wait to show her little sister.

"I wonder how Mom will take the news." Haruko mused aloud.

"What news?" Tsuki asked.

"The fact that she now has two daughters with one being part cat and one being part fox." the pink-eyed cat girl explained.

"I think she might like it." Sakura surmised.

"Are you sure?" Haruko asked her other half.

"I'm sure of it."

After practicing the jutsu some more, they dispelled them and talked some before going to bed. Not surprisingly, Hinata and Ginko slept on either side of Naruto.

xxxxx

Hinata woke up and found herself in an endless field of flowers with trees scattered about. She looked up and noticed that the moon was full and the sky was lit with billions of stars. She was so amazed by the beauty of the place that she was startled when she heard the sound of soft purring. She looked around and saw a cave that she didn't notice before. She walked in and saw that it was lined with small torches to provide some light. Not much, but just enough to see. After a minute of walking, which she idly noted that she was descending below the surface, she made it to a chamber with a ceiling she can't see and a massive gate, similar to Kyuubi's, but void of the sealing tag to keep it closed. She remembered that Kyuubi's gate was gold with red runes on it. This one is also gold, but has lavender runes instead. 'Is this where Lady Neko resides?' she thought as the purring subsided.

**"Ah, so you have come to see me, kitten."** came a seductive voice from the other side of the gate. Two yellow slit-eyes appeared and gazed at the girl, then looked out into the cave. **"You two can stop hiding, you know. I know you're there."**

Hinata turned around, seeing Naruto and Ginko, in her true form, approach from the shadows. **"So, you must be Lady Neko, my father's ex-girlfriend."** Ginko stated as she stared at the two eyes.

The eyes vanished, only for the gate to open and a large black panther with blue markings and yellow slit-eyes to step out. The trio raised an eyebrow when they noticed a lavender collar around her neck that bore gold runes and the kanji for seal. **"Yes, I am Neko, the Nibi no Bakeneko."** she said. **"Do you mind introducing yourselves? I would like to get to know my container and her chosen mates."**

"I am Hinata Hyuuga. Pleased to meet you, Lady Neko." Hinata bowed politely.

"I am Naruto Uzumaki, Hinata's boyfriend and Lord Kyuubi's container." Naruto also bowed politely.

**"I am Ginko Youko, Naruto's other girlfriend."** Ginko bowed politely as well.

Neko chuckled. **"You three amuse me. The fact that the kit has two girlfriends intrigues me. Tell me, kit. What is it about you that has earned the affections of my container and my old friend's daughter?"** she asked.

"I guess it's the way I treat women: as queens." Naruto replied.

**"As queens, you say?"** Neko raised an eyebrow. **"So if I showed interest in you, would I be treated the same?"**

"You would be treated the same regardless." the blond boy responded.

**"Hmm... interesting."** Neko seemed deep in thought for a few minutes before smiling. **"I approve of you courting the kitten as well as myself."**

The three teens blinked. "What?" was their general question.

**"Because of the way I sealed myself in the kitten, I can leave whenever her life is in danger. Of course, she can also let me out whenever and for however long she wants, but she cannot do that at this time. Also, by courting her, you also court me as well."** Neko explained as she sat down.

**"Is it the same way as me and Hinata dating Naruto or will be through Hinata?"** Ginko asked as she, too, sat down.

**"Sort of both. I chose to seal myself into the kitten. Whatever she experience, I experience as well. This is how we both court the same person... at least until she is strong enough to summon me without passing out from exhaustion. I hope you two don't mind."** Neko replied, and then grinned when she saw the trio blush. **"Oh, it's not going to be that bad. You know the Spirit Division, kit. You can split your soul into three parts and make all three of us happy on our wedding night."** Their blushes grew even more as their minds wandered.

She then stood up and shifted into her human form. The trio were surprised at the form she took. In a word, she was gorgeous. Pale skin, long dark hair tied in a ponytail with a blue ribbon, slitted hazel eyes and a goddess-like figure wrapped in a cerulean kimono tied with a black obi and straw sandals adorning her feet. She smiled warmly as a pair of black-furred cat ears replaced her human ears and two cat tails with blue markings swayed lazily behind her. She then strolled over to Naruto, swaying her hips in a seductive manner, which caused him to freeze. Hinata and Ginko also found themselves unable to move as the cat-woman approached their boyfriend, wrapped her arms and tails around him and pressed her lips onto his own. To their shock, he began to respond after a moment.

After a minute, she pulled away and saw the glazed look on his face. **"Mmm... you truly are something, kit. Now I see how you earned their hearts."** she moaned in delight. **"I wonder just how good you are in-"** She didn't get to finish as she dodged a cyan fireball that came from Ginko.

**"Paws off! He's ours!"** Ginko growled as her tails stood straight.

Neko sighed. **"Now girls, what's wrong with sharing him? You both share him, so what's the difference with adding one more to the mix?"** she calmly asked.

"You just want in his pants, not in his heart." Hinata shot back as she took a fighting stance, ready to fight the cat-woman to get her man back.

Neko sighed again, but a tear slid down her cheek. **"You're wrong. That's not what I want."** she said before snapping her fingers, summoning three recliners for them, a throne made out of bones for herself and a coffee table between them with snacks and drinks on it. After they took their seats, with Ginko changing into her half-fox form, Neko continued. **"For several centuries, I've been trying to find myself a mate; someone to love with all my heart and to have kittens with. However, being a demoness and the Empress of the Underworld is rather intimidating to some males. To make matters worse, some even wanted me for my power, my body or my title. Those are the ones I either turn down or kill if they become too insistent. I thought I found the one who will make my life complete about five hundred years ago. A nice human saw me and started talking to me. He didn't seem to mind me being a demon at all. We dated for two years. Unfortunately, on the night I was about to ask him to become my mate, he tried to rape me. I was heartbroken when he said that by doing this to me, he would become invincible. I felt so betrayed and angry that I turned the tables on him. I learned later that any male I mate with that isn't my mate will die from having their souls eaten by me, along with whatever powers and memories they have becoming mine. I can easily give them to someone else by simply kissing them and transferring it through the kiss, but only if I have feelings for them. It also works the other way, since Kyuubi shared his psionic abilities with me when we dated for several years."** A few tears started to fall from the demoness's eyes. **"He and I never mated, for I was afraid of accidentally taking his soul. I've known him for centuries and have always cared about him. Even after we broke up, I still care about him. The last thing he said to me is that my true love will be the only one to make me feel like a goddess with the power to do anything."**

She paused to calm herself. **"I've spent the last three centuries searching for that man, only to find perverts and rapists instead. Since I can see a person's soul, a benefit of being Lord Shinigami's pet, I can tell if a person is good or evil. I've spent the better part of three centuries going after the evil ones, eating their souls and giving their powers and memories to those they have harmed, though I make sure to erase the memories that are not important. Sadly, this put me in a state where I am almost always in heat. I was able to figure a way out of it about twenty years ago and have remained out of that state since. If I had a mate, I'll only mate when I want to or when my body demands it, but I won't be trapped in heat after mating so much in such a short period of time."** She then sighed. **"After I learned of what happened to Kyuubi twelve years ago, I sought out help. My master told me of what happened and guided me to Kyuubi's location, which led me to you, kit. I could easily smell him inside you, so I decided to wait and see if I can find someone who has a connection to you. Sadly, all of your family are dead, as far as I know. I'll have to talk to my master to find out. Anyway, I learned who your parents are and did some research, which led me to the kitten's mother. I waited until you were born, Hinata, so I could seal myself into you. You were with your parents and they were both asleep, as were you. Before I sealed myself into you, your father woke up and I told him who I was, why I was here and that I will protect you from everything. He nodded and I sealed myself into you. I had to hide my presence completely so no one would be able to find out, but a seal that not even the Byakugan can see does exist on your navel. I advise you not to mention it, as my master created it himself and only he and I can remove it without you dying."** Hinata nodded in understanding.

"Lady Neko, what happened to Lord Kyuubi?" Naruto asked her.

**"I cannot tell you just yet. I was able to listen in on the conversation that you had inside your mind last night, so I know what all was said and who you are."** Neko answered. **"The fact that you're dating the daughter of my friend and one of my brethren and is protected by both him and another of my brethren is amazing for a human. If you would let me, I would be honored if you would court me as well. I still desire to find a mate and I hope that you are the one my dear friend spoke of."** Neko smiled warmly at him, hoping that he would say yes.

Naruto looked at his girlfriends, wondering what they thought. They both shrugged before getting up and talking amongst themselves for a few minutes. They then faced Neko and said as one, "We'll allow it, but you must agree to share."

Neko giggled. **"I am all too familiar with polygamy. Only alpha males are allowed multiple mates. And judging from how protective you two are of him, I can tell that he is an alpha."**

After the girls took their seats, Neko spoke up again. **"Before I send you three on your way, I need to set up a schedule for the kitten so I can train her."**

xxxxx

A/N: Well, would you look at that. Naruto now has three girlfriends. Okay, this wasn't originally planned in either story, as the idea entered my head as I was working on I think arc one chapter four or five. I don't remember which. Anyway, this will be a small harem as opposed to the triangle I had in mind after I finished the first chapter of the last arc. As always, read and review.

The introduction of a jutsu that allows Naruto, or even Sakura, to split themselves into themselves and another person that is them but not them is not an original idea. I wanted Sakura to do this in both stories and was going to have her create a jutsu to do it, but decided to have Naruto learn a jutsu from someone, I'll tell you who that is later, and teach it to Sakura. Just so you know, she'll use it more than him. Also, Haruko's attire is exactly like Sakura's. She'll have the ninja tools, but not the medical supplies, the sais or any other equipment.

One more thing. Regardless of their form, all Bijuu's dialogue will be in bold.

Changes from before: The Kitsune/Neko Form Jutsu were created by Naruto and Hinata at this point in the story. However, I've decided to have Naruto create his months prior and show it to Hinata, only to have her create a jutsu similar to his own. Also, Sakura did not learn either jutsu later that night. Before, she would have learned them both after Tsunade returned and is able to choose which one she wanted to use and even switch between the two on the fly. Instead, only Sakura can turn into a fox and Haruko can turn into a cat. While I was writing that particular scene, I was mulling over the idea of switching it where Sakura turns into a cat and Haruko turns into a fox or simply let them turn into either and switch between them on the fly, but then thought against them. The reason was because Haruko's fur as a fox would be lime green, and I don't think that's a good color for a vixen. Also, Lee was at Ino's instead of Sakura and the vixens and they were only there for dinner while Ino's parents were out on a dinner date. I went with the sleepover as I have an idea for next chapter and I didn't want to use it in this one. And before you ask, they weren't hiding their true appearance from each other and Naruto didn't get to see them in their bra and panties.

As for Neko's appearance, she didn't make herself known to Hinata until chapter twelve, but she did have several lines during that and the previous chapter before she met her container. And yes, she was seducing Naruto in this chapter. She seduced him in the original story and Hinata was not happy about it, but the cat woman never kissed him. Almost, but not quite. She also upgraded their personal jutsu and extended it to Ino and Tenten as well. This time, Naruto's jutsu was upgraded by Kyuubi and Hinata's jutsu was upgraded by Neko, though Hinata doesn't know that yet. She will during her training with the demoness. Also, I didn't plan on having Neko being able to free herself until much later. I still don't, for Hinata is not strong enough to do so. Even if she was, the strain on her body would cause her to pass out. The same would be said for Naruto had I not decided to remove Kyuubi from him later on. And yes, it will be some time after Tsunade and Jiraiya comes back, so it won't be anytime soon. And if you're wondering, the sinning won't be in this arc, except maybe in flashbacks or a few small scenes.

Translations:

Tora: Tiger; Hold your hands together with the fingers interlocked, but with the index and middle fingers outstretched.  
Ai: Love; Similar to the tora hand sign, but with the thumb pinky fingers outstretched as well.

Response Corner:

notgonnasay09: Well, you probably right. However, I haven't seen Love Hina so I wouldn't really know. I'll take your word for it on the content, but the language is bound to pick up sometime in the future. After all, censoring Tayuya isn't very fun in this case. Now, as for your questions...

Well, the first one is simple. I'm sad to say that I haven't really thought about it before you brought it up. The way you asked me the questioned makes me wonder what exactly do you mean. Either you mean if Temari will see the Silver Moon being wielded by Ginko or simply steal it from the vixen. If it's the latter, then no. First, the Silver Moon is bound to Ginko. No one but those she trusts can ever touch it and only she can use it. Second, due to the materials used to make it, Temari would have a harder time wielding it than her own battle fan, the Three Moons. The difference is because the Three Moons is made of chakra metal and special parchment specifically made for weapons. The Silver Moon, on the other hand, is made of a dragon fang and dragon skin, making much more powerful than the Three Moons, but much heavier as well.

Your second question is a bit longer. Yes, the dog-masked ANBU is Kakashi. I never said his name in arc one chapter two, when he was introduced, because there was no point in me doing so. He's an ANBU, which means no one but those who are in the know are allowed to know their names, but can't use them except in private. Naruto doesn't know Inu's real name and he'll learn it next chapter. As for the masks... The ANBU do recycle the animals, but not the actual masks. They only recycle the mask in the case of inheritance. If an ANBU were to retire or die and one of their relatives want to become an ANBU, the mask is kept and then passed on to said ANBU. This also applies to close friends, spouses and offspring. Otherwise, the mask is kept and used to remember the ANBU that either died or retired while someone else replaces them with a different mask. The animal isn't different, but the marks on the mask are. Also, even if Kakashi is an ANBU, he's still an elite jounin. As such, he can take on a gennin squad, but if he does, he must retire from ANBU until the members of his squad become jounin, an apprentice of someone, join the ANBU or dies. This is how he is still an ANBU while also failing past gennin squads. Simply put, his standards are higher than other jounin, despite his laziness. This is also the reason why he hasn't been seen outside of his ANBU attire yet.

Man, that was long. Well, I hope that answers your questions. Also, I won't be abandoning this story, even if I do lose my internet. I will eventually get it back and continue from where I left off. Besides, the break will help me progress with my story a bit faster, I think.

Important Notice: 11/15/2009: Due to the various author's challenges I have read, I have decided to put up my own last week, though I didn't post it last chapter. As such, if you are interested, go to my main page and give it a read. If you want to accept, please send me a message saying that you accepted. Don't tell me through a review. Thank you.

Next Time: The gang is being divided into squads. Who's paired with whom and who's leading them?

Later!


	9. Arc 2 Chapter 2

**The Kitsune and the Neko**

"Talking"  
'Thoughts'  
**Inner/Demon/Deity/Dire Beast  
**_Flashback/Mind Link_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Arc 2: Ninja Life  
Chapter 2: The Rookie Nine**

An alarm clock went off, disturbing the sleep of one Hinata Hyuuga. She sleepily turned it off and pulled her sister close as she purred in her sleep, their tails intertwined. She was able to teach her little sister not only one of Naruto's personal jutsu, but her own as well. She may not be able to hold the former for very long, but she can sustain the latter for about an hour at most, as it only affected part of her body and not all of it. Ever since she learned them, the little girl's been training furiously to increase her chakra capacity though chakra control exercises taught to her by Hinata. So far, she's able to keep a leaf stuck to her forehead while running up and down the trunk of a tree for half an hour, surprising her big sister. She can't go any higher at this point, for she only started two days ago, but it shows just how much strength, skill and determination she has.

As Hanabi snuggled deeper into her sister's embrace, Hinata herself purred as she stroked her sister's long dark brown hair. She loves her sister very much and wants to teach her everything she knows. She's been doing so in private, since the elders do not like clan members learning skills that have nothing to do with combat. They're even against learning elemental ninjutsu, as they believe that it is inferior to the Gentle Fist fighting style, even though Might Guy, Jiraiya of the Sannin, Tsunade Senju, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki and Naruto Uzumaki can pick the style apart with their own fighting styles. Each one of them, save for the Third Hokage, has trained alongside a Hyuuga for many years. Guy only trained alongside a Hyuuga for one year; said Hyuuga being Hinata's cousin, Neji. They have proven time and again that the Gentle Fist style is not the best fighting style, even though Naruto never really cared about it when he sparred with his girlfriend. Furthermore, each and every one of them becomes highly annoyed when the Hyuugas start talking about their superiority, giving them even more incentive to shut them up, as Naruto puts it.

Stifling a giggle, she rolls over, pulling her sister on top of her, and waits a few minutes for her to awaken. Once she did, they rubbed noses, as they do every morning they sleep together, and get out of bed. As always, Hanabi waits for her sister to enter her bathroom before leaving the room so no one finds out about Naruto's gift to her. The girl idly wondered if she'll look that good in five years. She imagined herself at Hinata's age and smiled. She can't wait to grow up; just like she can't wait to meet her sister's boyfriend.

Several minutes later, Hinata came out of the shower and got dressed, but not in her usual attire. After the sleepover, she and her friends went shopping, with Naruto changing into Naruko and having her lose the whisker marks. They were able to choose several outfits for them, with Naruko making up a lie that her twin brother was sick and she was shopping for him. To their surprise, she and Naruto are roughly the same size, though she's slimmer and her chest is much bigger for obvious reasons. The vixens weren't there because they went shopping for clothes months ago. Her new attire consists of a dark blue ninja shirt over a mesh shirt, dark blue capri pants, a beige cargo vest with the Hyuuga insignia on the back, blue ninja sandals and her headband, which resided around her neck. After getting dressed, and striking a few poses in a full-length mirror to see just how sexy she is as a cat girl, she puts on her ninja gear. Now that she's a kunoichi, she can use her full arsenal, which consists of a weapon holster on her right thigh, a supply pouch on her left hip and a weapon scroll holster on her left thigh. She also puts on special chakra weights on her forearms and shins that Naruto made her and their friends two years ago and puts her fighter's gloves in her vest, which she left open. To be honest, she wanted to wear her jacket, but it didn't go with her new outfit. She knew that the boys will stare at her chest, which is larger than most girls her age, even with her body disguised by Naruto's jutsu. She only wants Naruto to look, but won't let him touch until after they're married. She sighed as she released her jutsu and cast his jutsu on herself, causing her body to look less sexy, but she was still quite attractive for her age.

Shaking the thoughts out of her head, she grabbed her sandals and left her room for breakfast. Today is when she finds out what squad she'll be put on. She hoped that Naruto is on her squad and that Kurenai is her jounin instructor. She has looked up to the woman like a big sister for years. She even knows of her relationship with Naruto and Ginko. The woman once asked if she and Ginko ever kissed, but she said no and added that the closest that they've ever come to kissing each other is when they both kiss Naruto at the same time. She blushed at the mere thought of kissing another girl.

xxxxx

At this time, a pair of preteens sneezed. 'Someone's talking about us.' they both thought as they made their way downstairs for breakfast. Naruto Uzumaki and Ginko Youko are fully dressed and equipped for whatever may happen today. Naruto is garbed in a navy blue t-shirt with chain mail armor underneath, red-orange ninja pants, a red-orange cargo vest, navy blue fingerless gloves, black ninja sandals and his headband secured around his forehead. An added feature that Yuki added to his cargo vest and pants is that they can change color according to his will. If he wanted to go black, he can do so easily. And, thanks to his personal jutsu, he can dye his hair another color in seconds with barely a sound being made. All he needs to do is snap his fingers and he's either a completely different person or his appearance can change in an instant. He's fortunate that he can snap his fingers and use his chakra to muffle the sound. Sadly, his friends haven't mastered the jutsu to that point yet.

Next to him, Ginko is dressed in a tight sky-blue tank top with a mesh shirt underneath, dark blue shorts, silver wristbands and white shoes with sky-blue trim. The only reason she's dressing casual is that she not only wants to look good for her boyfriend, but if she'll be doing any fighting today, it will be in her true form. She also has a belt with two metal rings attached to it, which are holding her elbow blades, and the holster for her battle fan on her right thigh. Even if her clothes are casual wear, they are still able to handle the rigors of battle. And since her mother can easily fix her clothes if they get ruined, she's not that worried about it.

Once they reached the breakfast table, Naruto went and kissed Kouen and Tsuki on the cheek before doing the same for Yuki. He's been doing this since they gave him some of their power. He felt much closer to the vixens since that night, especially Ginko.

Kouen and Tsuki smiled as they, too, were ready for the day. Kouen's wearing a tight midnight blue tank top with a white t-shirt underneath, a midnight blue skirt that goes to just above her knees, tight black shorts, midnight blue wristbands and white shoes with midnight blue trim. She also has a shuriken holster on each of her thighs, a supply pouch on each side of her slim hips and the scabbard that houses Masamune sitting next to her. Tsuki has on a tight dark blue tank top with a white t-shirt underneath, dark blue pants, dark blue wristbands and white shoes with dark blue trim. The holster for her three-point pole is tied on her left thigh and her sheathed kodachi is sitting next to her.

Once all five of them sat down, they had breakfast and conversed in small talk. The five of them are a true family, even though Naruto won't be apart of it for another few years. They trust each other without question. They love each other unconditionally. And they will protect each other with their very lives. To them, that's all that matters.

After they finished with breakfast and did what little chores there were, Kouen slid the scabbard on the left side of her hip and Tsuki slid the sheath behind her waist before the three teenage fox-girls took their true forms. After they were all secure in Naruto's arms, they headed out.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, Hinata was sitting on a park bench. She and Kurenai would do this every morning before the academy started. They would wait here for Naruto and the vixens to come out of the forest. Once they did, they would converse in small talk until they were at the academy. This was the first time she had to go there without Kurenai escorting them. Few people know that Naruto has an eye for beauty. Every woman he knows he thought was beautiful and would tell them that. Kurenai was no exception and the woman was flattered by his comments. Even Tsume Inuzuka was on the receiving end of this, which amused the woman at how a young boy was trying to charm her. She was once told by Naruto that he had a dream that they had the Christmas party again. But this time, they were all a bit older and Ayame, Tsunade, Shizune, Kurenai and the cat-masked ANBU, Yugao, were all there and dressed in the same outfit that Yuki wore. What made it worse is that each of the women kissed him on the lips and made sure that his tongue was not idle, even Yuki. He said he woke up that morning with his face almost turning purple and having to take an ice cold shower to cool down. She couldn't help but to giggle, a bit tempted to dress up like that again, share many kisses with him and tease him with how alluring she looked dressed in red. She might even convince Ginko to join her and even Neko, after she figured out how to let her out for a few hours.

She was pulled from her thoughts when Naruto came out of the forest. She smiled at him as Tsuki hopped into her arms and perched herself on her shoulders, her tail curled around her neck, with Kouen doing the same on Naruto. Ginko, on the other hand, was held by the couple as they petted her into a blissful state. They smiled down at the purring vixen as they head to their next destination, which is the Yamanaka Flower Shop.

As soon as they stepped inside, they were greeted by Ikana. "Good morning, kids." she said with a warm smile.

"Good morning, Lady Ikana." the couple responded in unison, also with smiles. The three vixens waved their tails at her in greeting.

"Is Ino still here? We were wondering if she wanted to walk to the academy with us." Naruto asked.

"She is, but I don't think she's ready yet." Ikana replied.

"May I go check on her?" Hinata asked.

"Sure Hinata, you can. But Naruto has to stay here, though." Ikana answered.

Both teens nodded and Hinata made her way upstairs to check on their friend.

xxxxx

Inside her room, a girl is gearing up, just incase something might happen. She has light blonde hair that flows down to her slim waist. It's so long, she had to tie it up in a high ponytail, bringing it up higher above her waist. With her deep teal eyes, she looks herself over in a full body mirror. Dressed in a violet top with no sleeves and her midriff showing, a matching skirt and wrappings underneath, which covered herself up quite well so no one can get any perverted ideas. If they did, the twin daggers on her slender legs will deal with them, if her blond friend doesn't first. The daggers are inside custom holsters that are strapped to her thighs. Her headband is tied around her waist, like a belt. Her supply pouch resides behind her left hip for easy access to any of the various supplies she may need. Her name is Ino Yamanaka of the Shugomori; one of the most desirable kunoichis in her graduating class and childhood friend of Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuuga.

Suddenly, Ino heard a knock on the door before a familiar voice filtered into her room. "Ino, it's me, Hinata. Naruto and I are on our way to the academy together. Do you want to walk with us?"

"Sorry, but I'm not ready yet. Can you two go on without me?" Ino asked. Of course she wanted to walk with them. It was mostly so they could be placed on the same squad. Although that may not happen anyways, much to their dismay. They know that only one kunoichi is placed on each squad. Why that is, they don't know. They wish they would be on the same squad, but they know that it'll never happen. Ino has known the couple since they were five years old. She's become very close to them and, since they've been dating, only wanted to protect that bond and not break it or see someone else break it. Although she doubts that'll ever happen, it is possible.

"Okay, Ino. We'll see you there." Hinata's sweet voice rang through the door. Ino can hear her footsteps as she went downstairs.

'Sorry you two, but I'm not ready yet.' Ino thought sadly. She really wanted to go as a group, but she woke up a bit late. 'Stupid alarm clock.' she complained.

xxxxx

Hinata arrived downstairs to see Naruto and the vixens admiring the flowers all over the shop. He noticed her approach him and asked, "So what did she say?"

"She said to go on without us." Hinata replied.

Naruto frowned, but nodded. "Okay then. Let's get moving." They bid their farewells to Ikana before leaving the flower shop.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, another girl is looking herself over in the mirror. Her green eyes gaze at her figure to see if she's missing anything. She's in a red short-sleeve top with a white circle on the back and the midriff cut short, a red skirt with a white circle on the front and back and black tight shorts. Her headband is tied around her pink hair that cascades down her shoulders like a hairband, keeping her bangs in front like a fashion statement. Her name is Sakura Haruno of the Shugomori; one of the smartest and most desirable kunoichis in her graduating class, childhood friend of Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuuga and best friend of Ino Yamanaka.

With one final look and a wink, she dons her ninja gear, which consists of a weapon holster on her right thigh and a supply pouch on her left hip. She heads to the door, after enjoying a quick breakfast, and slides on her blue ninja sandals. Her destination: the Ninja Academy. Bidding a 'see you later' to her mother, she's out the door.

Along the way, she passed by the Yamanaka Flower Shop, right when Ino was exiting. Both girls smile at each other before resuming their trek to the academy, conversing in small talk along the way.

xxxxx

At the academy, Hinata and Naruto entered the classroom and sat in their regular seats, Hinata in the center seat on the top row, near the door, and Naruto to her left. They look around to see who all is there. Out of the forty-six students that attended the class, only twenty-seven graduated. Besides Ino, they saw that everyone else was present, minus Sakura. The only reason they didn't go to get Sakura was because she lived not too far from Ino's and they both have always walked to the academy together. Sometimes, they would all walk as a group.

A few minutes later, Ino and Sakura walk in and right up to Naruto, kissing his cheeks at the same time, as usual. None of the class reacted to this, having seen it for the past year and a half. Many of the boys are jealous of Naruto. Not only is he this year's top rookie, but he also has the three hottest girls in class as friends and, in some cases, cheerleaders. They are also the top three kunoichis, with Hinata holding the top spot and Ino and Sakura sharing second place. Some of the boys respected him for how he is considered the only one who could beat the last Uchiha in a spar, as well as the most elusive student since the Red Death during the last ninja war. He, too, has a following of fangirls, but they weren't as big as Sasuke's following and most wanted to become just like the three girls he hangs out with. The majority of the following are younger students including the granddaughter of one of the village elders and Tenten's younger sister. Only a few are in the class and they are all fangirls who ask him out on dates. Like Sasuke, he declines their offers for dates. Unlike Sasuke, he's polite and gentle about it so their feelings aren't hurt. Some keep trying while some give up, but still like him. It's something that amuses the three vixens to no end, who are the ones that helps the girls who seek it train, since Naruto had errands to run.

xxxxx

Inside the Hokage's office, Sarutobi, ten jounin, several clan heads and a few parents are watching the class of ninja. Many parents smile as they watched their children. Next to the old man, Yuki gazed into the crystal ball, keeping her vision locked on her charge.

xxxxx

"Alright class, settle down." Iruka called out as he enters the classroom, a clipboard in his hand. Everyone sat down as he begins his final lecture. The hardest thing for a teacher is to say goodbye to their students for the last time. This is his least favorite thing about his job, but it must be done anyways. "All right everyone, listen up. Now that you are all shinobi, it's time for you to work towards your careers as one. There will be times where you'll have to put your life on the line out there to protect a comrade or the village as a whole. This is no joke and you can't treat it like one. Now, to prepare you all for this, you'll all be placed into squads of three. Each squad will have a jounin instructor who will guide and train you in the ninja arts so you'll be better prepared out there. Right now, you are all gennin, considered the lowest in rank. As time passes, you'll all gain the experience needed to reach the higher ranks and, eventually, your goals." He looked over the class, who took all this information in like a sponge, except for most of the girls and roughly half of the boys. 'I really hope they're ready for this.' Iruka thought before announcing the squads.

A minute later, he finally mentioned one of the Shugomori's names. "Okay, squad seven. Naruto Uzumaki..." This got the attention of several people.

'Please don't say Sasuke or Kiba. Please don't say Sasuke or Kiba.' Naruto, Hinata, Ino, Sakura and Haruko chanted in their minds.

"...Sakura Haruno..."

'Please don't say Sasuke or Kiba. Please don't say Sasuke or Kiba.' Naruto, Sakura and Haruko continued with their mental chanting. They already knew that Hinata was sad because she didn't get placed on her boyfriend's squad. They both knew that only one kunoichi can be placed on a squad. They hated that rule, but there's nothing they can do about it.

"...and Sasuke Uchiha." Iruka finished.

'We're screwed.' Naruto and Sakura thought while practicing the delicate art of face-planting on the desk before them. Neither of them wanted to be on Sasuke's squad, especially Naruto. He knew that the boy would want to fight him at every possible chance as well as try to obtain whatever secrets he has. Sakura's thoughts were similar, yet different. She didn't like the boy that much, especially with the way he treats her childhood friend. She usually ignores him, but since they were teammates now, she might as well make it known that she will not tolerate his attitude. Haruko was agreeing with her while holding a baseball bat, just in case he may need a little 'persuading'. The other girls, minus Ino and Hinata, didn't take this well. They thought it was unfair that Sakura's on the same squad as the two best students in the class, as well as the two hottest boys. They started complaining about it, which caused many to cover their ears to guard them against the banshee-like yelling.

Fortunately, Iruka put a stop to that before continuing. "Moving on, squad eight. Hinata Hyuuga..." This immediately catches the couple's attention. Hinata is curious as to whom her teammates are while Naruto and Ginko hopes that a certain dog-boy isn't one of them. "...Kiba Inuzuka..." Naruto held back a tick from forming on his head while he and Ginko inwardly growled at Kiba. They, along with everyone else in the class, knows that Kiba has a huge crush on Hinata. He's been asking her out for about two years and she has always politely turned him down. Kiba is one of many who doesn't know about Hinata's relationship with Naruto, nor does he know that they've known each other for years and no one will ever tear them apart and live. Their friends wouldn't allow it, nor would they. "...and Shino Aburame." Hinata was glad that Shino is on her squad. He'll be able to help her keep the wild boy in line.

Iruka now wraps it up by announcing the final squad. "And lastly, squad ten. Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara and Chouji Akimichi." Naruto and his friends weren't surprised that those three were put on the same squad. They were told stories of the Ino-Shika-Chou trio and knew that they were one of the best squads around, next to the Legendary Sannin and the Three Maidens. Naruto also knows that Ino would be well taken care of. Those two know how to treat a lady. He only hopes that Ino doesn't complain about their obvious quirks too much, like she always does.

"Now, your jounin instructors shall be here momentarily, so wait here until they arrive." Iruka said to the class before everyone started to talk amongst themselves again.

xxxxx

It's been an hour and the only squad left is squad seven. Naruto and Sakura watched as Hinata and Shino were picked up by Kurenai, much to Hinata's delight, while the new Ino-Shika-Chou trio were picked up by the Hokage's son, Asuma. Both jounin gave a brief wave to Naruto before leaving with their new students. Once the other squads left, Sakura pulled out a scroll she made that has several games sealed in it. She unsealed a checker board and a bag of checkers and she and Naruto started playing. Out of the ten games they've played, Sakura has won seven of them. Periodically, they would see what Sasuke was doing, only to see him brood to himself, as per his usual thing.

What they didn't know is that Sasuke believes he got the short end of the stick. He doesn't think much of Sakura, believing her to be one of his annoying fangirls. She may be one of the top kunoichis in class, but he feels that all females are weak and can't do anything but housework and produce children. He knows that the only girl who was never interested in him is Hinata and she may be the only one he thinks is worthy of helping him restore his clan. After the massacre, the revival of the clan rested solely on his shoulders. Since Hinata has the Byakugan, any children they have would have the ability to use both visual jutsu. He also knows that the girl has feelings for his blond 'teammate'. 'Maybe I can convince the council to transfer me to Hinata's squad in exchange for one of her weak teammates.' he mused to himself, unaware that someone was listening in on his thoughts.

Inside the seal, Kyuubi shook his head. This kid is just like the rest of his clan. **'Time to intervene.'** he thought before reaching out to his container. _**"Hey, kit. Can you hear me?"**_

_"Huh? Lord Kyuubi? How can I hear you?"_

_**"I'm sealed inside you, remember? All I did was open a link and we can speak, similar to what your locket does with your mother."**_

_"Ah."_

_**"And I told you, no need for the title. It makes me feel old."**__ Naruto mentally chuckled at that. __**"Anyway, the Uchiha is plotting to take your kitten away."**_

_"He can try, but Hinata would knock him out the second he touches her, Sharingan or not."_

_**"His Sharingan isn't active, kit."**_

_"How do you know?"_

_**"Because if it was, he would have challenged you to a fight so he could copy your moves; though I can tell you that, thanks to me being in here, he can't copy anything you do."**_

_"That's good to know. Don't want that idiot to try and steal my hard-earned work."_

After another hour of games, which they switched from Checkers to Chess, a man garbed in a jounin's attire stepped into the room. He has silver hair that seems to defy gravity and a brown right eye, since his left eye is covered by his headband. The second he entered the room, a large pile of snow suddenly fell onto him. The three young ninjas looked at the snow pile in shock. Sasuke, since he never left the village, has never seen snow before. Naruto got to see snow on three separate occasions, with Sakura being with him during one of those occasions.

Sakura's gaze then went to Naruto, who responded by shaking his head, though they both found the prank funny. They knew that someone decided to prank their tardy sensei. Sakura figured that it was Naruto, since she knew that he has a knack for pranking people who wronged either him or his friends. He is so good, he can prank someone in broad daylight in the middle of a crowd and not hit anyone else with it and still manage to get away with it. The three vixens are just as good as he is, if not better. They can set up a prank in a room filled with people and no one would even notice it until it went off, with them being long gone.

Looking at the three vixens, both friends found them asleep. They both blinked, but then looked closely. It took them a moment to figure out that they were feigning sleep. They could see the barely visible grins on their muzzles; the only sign that they were the culprits.

It was at this time that the man decided to dig himself out of the pile of snow. After dusting the snow off of him, he saw three pairs of eyes staring at him. One in amusement, one in curiosity and one in disbelief. "I'm not a big fan of the classroom, so meet me on the roof in five minutes." he said before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Sakura blinked while Naruto raised an eyebrow before smiling. He picked up the three vixens, effectively 'waking' them up, looped an arm around Sakura's waist and followed the jounin's lead, leaving Sasuke to grumble about blond show-offs before heading towards the roof.

xxxxx

The silver-haired man wasn't too surprised when Naruto and Sakura appeared on the roof a moment after he did. He knew it takes a few minutes to get to the roof and, since all of Naruto's friends knew that he's friends with a few ANBU, he decided to speak up. "It's good to see you again, Naruto, Sakura."

"Hello, Inu." they both said.

The man chuckled. "You're going to call me that until you learn my name, aren't you?" He was answered with five sets of nodding heads.

"So what's with the setup? I mean, I thought the top rookie and kunoichi get paired with the worst in class." Naruto asked him.

"It was supposed to be that way, but the council demanded that I train Sasuke and, since I requested to train you years ago, I got you both." the jounin explained.

"But I thought Hinata is the top kunoichi?" Sakura mentioned.

"She is, but Hiashi Hyuuga requested that she be kept away from Sasuke." the silver-haired man replied. "To make matters worse, the council and the Hyuuga elders refused to have her teamed up with you, Naruto, no matter who your other teammate is."

Naruto shook his head. "I know Sasuke doesn't like us. What I'm worried about is him going to the council to try and be put on Hinata's squad."

"Why do you say that?" Sakura asked him.

"Think about it. Sasuke has shown no interest in any female, not even you or Ino. Hinata is the only girl who has shown no interest in him at all. I also remember Ino telling us that she caught him staring at Hinata while she was training without her jacket." Naruto explained. He didn't want to tell Sakura that Kyuubi was the one who warned him about Sasuke trying to get Hinata's attention. Besides, everything he said was true.

Sakura thought it over. "I suppose you're right. But we know she won't break up with you for him."

"I know that too, but he doesn't." Naruto whispered so no one could hear them. "If he is after Hinata and he learns of this, he may challenge me to win her over, but all that would do is piss her off. No matter how gentle she is, women are dangerous when angered, especially Hyuuga women." Both men shuddered at the thought, remembering when Hikari was angry at a chūnin who was about to behead Naruto with a sword. She used that sword to separate the man from his limbs after castrating him and before beheading him. Everyone knows that it's illegal for ninjas to attack civilians. The punishment is either jail time or death.

It was then that Sasuke made his way onto the roof. After he sat down, Naruto and Sakura sat down next to each other while their laps served as a place for the vixens to relax on. "Okay, then. Why don't we introduce ourselves, shall we?" the man said.

"Um, what all should we say?" Sakura asked, a bit curious.

"Hmm... how about your likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams for the future... stuff like that. Also, you must tell us one thing you can do. I'll go first so you know how it's done." the man said before clearing his throat. "My name is Kakashi Hatake. I have many likes. I don't have many dislikes. I have lots of hobbies. My dreams for the future? Hmm..." The other six sweat-dropped. "Oh, and I am a great tracker."

'All we learned was his name?' Sakura thought in slight confusion. She already knew he was a great tracker. All ANBU are excellent trackers.

'This is our jounin instructor?' Sasuke thought in disbelief.

'Why am I not surprised.' Naruto mused. He expected the man not to tell much about himself. It's one of the key rules to being a ninja. Your secrets are your own and you can choose what you want to reveal.

"Now then, ladies first." Kakashi said as he looked at Sakura.

Sakura shrugged as she petted Tsuki. "My name is Sakura Haruno. I like flowers, cooking, especially baking, and my friends. I dislike bullies, perverts and traitors. My hobbies are cooking with my mom and gardening. My dreams are to be a great medical ninja like Lady Tsunade and to surpass my mother in the culinary arts. I am also great at medical ninjutsu."

Kakashi nodded with an eye-smile. 'Most girls her age are more interested in boys than being a ninja. I'm glad that she's not one of them.' he thought to himself. 'Plus, not many know medical ninjutsu at her age. She must be pretty good if she says she's great at it. I'll have to test her on what she knows later.' "You're next." he said to Naruto.

Naruto nodded as he petted Ginko and Kouen. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I like the forest, foxes, slugs and toads. I dislike arrogance, ignorance, perverts and snakes. My hobbies are drawing portraits of my friends and family, gardening and playing in the rain. My dreams are to be a great ninja like my parents and to become Hokage. Finally, I am great with seals."

Kakashi chuckled. He already knew all of that, including just how good he is. He did, however, find his skill in seals a bit nostalgic. "Are you going to introduce your other friends?" he asked. "You can simply give a like and a dislike if you want."

Naruto looked at the three vixens, who nodded. "Okay. The red one is Kouen, the silver one is Ginko and the blue one is Tsuki. They like to help others and they dislike snakes."

After nodding, Kakashi turned to the last of the group. "You're up."

Sasuke, in response, rested his head on the back of his hands. "I am Sasuke Uchiha. I don't have many likes. I dislike many things. My hobby is training to become stronger. I am great with ninjutsu. And my dream... no, it's more like an ambition... To restore my clan and to kill a certain person." he said monotonously.

'Such a dull boy, he is.' Kouen, Ginko and Tsuki thought.

'And the girls find this hot how?' Sakura wondered.

'Typical, an avenger.' Naruto and Kakashi sighed.

"Okay, looks like I have a general idea of you all." Kakashi said to them. "Tomorrow, we shall do survival training."

"What? We've already done survival training at the academy." Naruto pointed out.

Kakashi chuckled for a moment before he suddenly got serious. "Let me tell you guys a little secret. The Graduation Exam that the academy issues is merely to choose ninja candidates. Out of the twenty-seven that have graduated, only nine will become gennin. The jounin are to test their students and the best are allowed to keep their headband. So, basically, the odds of failing are at least sixty-six percent." He then switched back to being laid back. "Meet me at Training Ground Three at six a.m. tomorrow morning. Make sure you being your ninja gear. Oh, and don't eat breakfast... or you're throw up." He then vanished in a puff of smoke.

Without saying a word, Sasuke got up and left, not sparing a glance to either of his teammates.

"Sakura, can you meet me there in ten minutes? We're going to get ready for that test." Naruto asked her. She nodded before they stood up and hugged. After they pulled away, she left with the vixens in her arms.

Naruto waited for them to vanish from his sight before he spoke. "You can come out now."

As if on cue, Kakashi jumped back onto the roof from another building. "So, care to explain why you're worried about Hinata?" he asked.

"Let's just say that I know of a furry little friend who likes the number nine who told me that Sasuke's interested in her due to her Byakugan and to spite me." Naruto answered.

Kakashi's eye widened for a second. "I see..." he said.

"I know for a fact that she'll say no. Also, the two clans still hate each other and a union between them has happened before." Naruto continued.

"How do you know this?" the scarecrow asked.

"I can't say, but the children in that union were born blind and with neither bloodline." Kakashi nodded at that. Only jounin were privy to that knowledge, for it wasn't meant for the general public, mainly because it didn't concern them. "If Sasuke tries to demand to be transferred to squad eight or to have Sakura and Hinata switch squads... well, I'm not sure what would happen, but I know it won't be good."

"I'll let the Hokage know this so he can prevent it." Kakashi told him. "You might want to warn Hinata as well, just in case." Naruto nodded before they vanished in puffs of smoke.

xxxxx

After informing Hinata of what Sasuke might do, to which he idly noted that she was in a bit of a rush, Naruto appeared in the training ground. He noticed that Sakura and the vixens were waiting for him by one of the three training posts. "You ready?" he asked Sakura.

Sakura nodded as each of the vixens sat on a post. They both bowed to each other before taking a fighting stance.

xxxxx

The next day, Naruto and Sakura arrived at the training ground with the vixens in tow. They were fifteen minutes early for a reason. Said reason: a light breakfast. They sat next to each other by one of the posts and opened five bento boxes containing their light breakfast. After the meal, they resealed the boxes just before Sasuke arrived. After he sat down, the five friends meditated as a means to pass the time. Naruto, for some reason, was pulled inside his mind to talk to Kyuubi.

Two hours later, Naruto was allowed to leave his mind just as Kakashi appeared in a puff of smoke. "Good morning." he greeted.

"Are you ever on time?" Naruto asked him. Sure, he's used to him being late, but it does get on his nerves.

"Sometimes." Kakashi then pulled out a clock and a pair of small bells tied to a piece of string each. "Okay, your assignment is simple. You have until noon to obtain one of the two bells in my hand. You can use any means you deem necessary, even your ninja tools, to procure them. However, you must come at me with the intent to kill." Sakura looked shocked at this. "Also, the foxes cannot help." The three vixens pouted before they each hopped onto one of the three posts. "Kouen, do you mind watching this for me?" Kouen nodded as he set the clock next to her on the center post. "Now then. If you do not get a bell by noon, you will be tied to one of the posts and forced to watch me eat your lunch." He then produced six bento boxes... from somewhere.

Almost immediately, Sasuke's stomach growled. 'That's why he wanted us not to eat breakfast.' he groaned.

After setting three of them by Tsuki and the other three by Ginko, Kakashi continued. "Finally, those who have gotten a bell shall pass while those who didn't will be sent back to the academy for further training."

'Like that's going to happen.' Naruto and Sakura thought, confident that they'll pass together.

'I will pass this.' Sasuke thought to himself.

"Ready..." Kakashi said as the gennin got ready. "START!" As one, all three scattered.

Kakashi waited a few moments before trying to look for them. He easily spotted Sasuke, who was hiding in a tree, out of sight. He also spotted Sakura, who's hiding under the brush, body to the ground. He searched for Naruto, but had a hard time finding him. 'Hmm... they've listened to the lessons of hiding from view.' he mused. 'A ninja must stay out of sight and remain in the shadows.'

Just then, he saw Naruto walk out of the forest. "You ready for this?" he asked, pointing at the jounin.

Kakashi suppressed a sweat-drop. 'He knows better than to do a frontal attack.' he thought before reaching into his supply pouch. He saw Naruto tense and reach for a pair of kunai. He then saw the boy raise an eyebrow when he pulled out of an orange book that he has seen before.

"Um, what's with the book?" Naruto asked.

"I want to find out how it turns out, of course." Kakashi replied casually, causing the boy to sweat-drop.

Naruto shook his head before charging at the jounin, a kunai in each hand. Kakashi deftly dodged each attack or redirected them with his free hand. He knew Naruto wasn't trying. He was simply testing him. So why should he put any effort in it if he isn't?

He ducked under a high roundhouse kick and vanished just before Naruto's left elbow could smash into his masked face. Naruto looked around, spinning the kunai in his hands, searching for the former ANBU captain. "You know, you should never let your opponent get behind you." he heard Kakashi say as he appeared crouched down with his hands in the 'tora' sign.

From her spot in the bushes, Sakura panicked a little. 'That hand sign... It's used for fire jutsu. He's going to burn Naruto!' she mentally screamed.

Up in a tree, Sasuke raised an eyebrow. 'Why would he waste a jutsu on him?' he wondered. He didn't think the jounin would use a jutsu on Naruto, considering he didn't put any effort in swatting away his attacks.

Naruto looked behind him, only to pale when he heard, "Leaf Village Secret Finger Jutsu: Thousand Years of Death!" Kakashi stuck his two index fingers up Naruto's ass. Naruto's eye twitched for a second before he exploded.

xxxxx

Elsewhere, Kakashi sighed, glad that it wasn't him that did that. 'It's a good thing Yuki warned me about him learning the Exploding Clone Jutsu three nights ago. It would have been bad if it was the real me that did that.' he thought to himself, and then shuddered when he remembered something. 'Then again, Naruto's going to be pissed that I did that anyway.'

True enough, Naruto was pissed. 'That wasn't funny, Kakashi!' he growled from his spot behind another tree, hiding with the Disguise Jutsu. He sent a shadow clone in his place and have modified it to explode two seconds after being hit. He was glad that exploding shadow clones don't send their memories back, but he was still pissed that Kakashi used that stupid technique on his clone. He then smirked. He knows how to get the scarecrow back.

From her position under the brush, Sakura sighed when she noticed that it wasn't the real Naruto. 'How did he get his clone to explode like that? It was almost like a paper bomb.' she wondered. She resolved to ask him later.

With Sasuke, he raised an eyebrow. 'Since when did he know how to make solid clones?' To his knowledge, Naruto could not make clones, even if he was able to do a fire jutsu that he, himself, could not, no matter how he tried to duplicate it. He remembered when he displayed his Finger Shot to the class. At first, he demanded that he teach it to him, saying that all fire jutsu belong to the Uchiha clan, only to receive a nasty glare from him before walking off. He tried several times, only for the glare to become harsher until he finally said that it was his and his alone and only he has the right to teach it to someone. He growled to himself at the loser's audacity and tried to spy on him when he uses it, only to be put to sleep and wake up on the other side of the village every time he tried. He never did find out who caught him, but he ignored it for a better purpose: getting stronger to kill _him_.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts as he noticed the smoke clear, revealing an unscathed Kakashi reading his book, mumbling to himself about exploding clones and karma. 'He's distracted!' the Uchiha thought before throwing several kunai and shuriken at him. The ninja tools hit his back before he turned into a log. Sasuke's eyes widened before he decided to move from his current hiding spot.

Hidden in the trees, Kakashi spotted Sasuke move. He watched him leave the immediate area before vanishing in a swirl of leaves.

xxxxx

With Sakura, she dashed through the forest, trying to regroup. 'Naruto and Sasuke aren't there anymore, though I know that Kakashi-sensei is looking for us.' she mused.

_**"Sakura, something doesn't seem right here."**__ Haruko spoke up._

_"What do you mean?"_

_**"Think about it. If squads are supposed to have three ninjas, why would they only allow two to pass?"**_

_"You think it's a trick?"_

_**"I don't think, I know."**__ Haruko was silent for a moment. __**"We need to find Naruto. Maybe he might know what we're missing."**_

_"But we're competing against him, Haruko. We can't work together."_

_**"Why not? Who says we can't work with our friend?"**_

_Sakura tried to find an answer, only to stop and realize that there wasn't one. "You're right. We need to find Naruto. I think we figured out what's going on."_

_**"You mean YOU figured out what's going on while I'm a little curious as to what that head of yours came up with."**_

Their banter was interrupted when Sakura felt someone tap her shoulder. "Hey, Sakura." the person whispered.

Sakura slowly turned around, meeting the single-eyed gaze of the masked jounin. She jumped back, but remembered the objective and slid into a fighting stance.

Kakashi simply smirked behind his mask before forming the 'ne' hand sign. A second later, Sakura was surrounded by leaves before he disappeared. Once the leaves finally fell, she looked around and figured that she was in a genjutsu.

She was about to dispel it when she heard Naruto call her name. She looked in the direction his voice came from, but blanched when she saw him crawling to her like he was ambushed by a small army and barely escaped. A few swords, several kunai and a spear jutted out his back and he was covered in blood. His left eye as closed as blood dripped from his forehead. He tried to call out to her for help, but collapsed before he could. Sakura stood there, pale, wide-eyed and completely frightened, before she screamed and fainted from the sheer shock of it all.

In a tree several meters away, Kakashi sweat-dropped. 'She fainted from seeing that? It couldn't have been that bad.' he thought to himself. He used the Demonic Illusion: Nightmare Vision Jutsu on her to test her skill with illusions. He saw her about to dispel it until she turned around. He shook his head. 'And she's the second best kunoichi?' he wondered before seeing her turn into steam. He raised an eyebrow at that.

xxxxx

Elsewhere, Sakura opened her eyes and saw Naruto's cerulean eyes staring into her emerald orbs. She quickly lunged up and hugged him before he could try to stop her.

After she pulled away, she quietly explained what just happened. Naruto sighed. "I knew he would toy with us, but to show you that?"

"Well, I never did see a dead body before." she said in her defense.

Naruto shrugged. She was right, after all. "Tell me, doesn't this whole thing seem a bit strange to you?" he suddenly asked her.

Sakura nodded. "I know. Haruko said that we should look for you to see if you could fill in what we don't know, but I said that we're supposed to compete against each other. That's when I realized that we're not supposed to go after the bells."

Naruto blinked, confused as to what she means. "Come again?" he asked. Even Haruko was confused, but Kyuubi was quickly catching on.

"Think about it. We're supposed to be a squad, right? A squad can't succeed without teamwork." Sakura explained.

Naruto blinked again, but he understood this time. "So the bells are a distraction from the real goal? I think I get it now, but we have one problem."

"Sasuke." they both said. They knew he would never work with either of them, but they had to give it a try anyway.

They both nodded at each other before leaping off to search for the Uchiha.

xxxxx

Speaking of which, said Uchiha appeared in another field where Kakashi's currently standing in. "I guess you want to try, hmm?" the jounin asked him. "Naruto wasn't too successful in getting a bell, and neither was Sakura."

"I'm different from those two." Sasuke stated.

"Say that after you get a bell." Kakashi said, not looking up from his book.

Taking it as a challenge, Sasuke threw a kunai at the jounin, only to see him easily dodge it.

"Normal attacks won't work, you know." the scarecrow reminded him, only to see the boy throw another kunai, which cut a hidden wire, which launched a bunch of kunai at him. 'A trap.' he thought before avoiding the trap's line of sight, only to find Sasuke swing his left foot at him. He easily blocked it and grabbed the leg, then caught the right fist he threw.

Sasuke then tilted his body and brought his right leg down, only to feel it being stopped as well, but it did not matter. He reached for the bells and as soon as he touched them, he was quickly thrown away. He righted himself in midair and landed on all fours.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow as he put his book away. "I'll admit... you are good." he said. "However, I've seen better."

Sasuke growled before forming a set of hand signs, one that the jounin easily recognized. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

'Gennin can't use fire jutsu! It takes too much chakra!' was Kakashi's thoughts before Sasuke put his hand in front of his mouth and blew out a large fireball, which incinerated the location he stood in.

Sasuke kept it up for a moment before letting it die down. Once the fire cleared, he saw burnt grass, but no jounin. 'What the... Where is he?' he wondered as he looked around. He looked to his left, then to his right. He then looked behind him before looking up. Then, he felt the ground crumble beneath him before he was suddenly pulled downward.

Kakashi then appeared standing next to Sasuke as he was buried underground, save for his head. "Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu." Kakashi intoned nonchalantly. "Sometimes, the enemy might be below you, Sasuke. Remember that." As he pulled out his book, he began to walk away. "Oh, and being different isn't always a good thing."

Sasuke struggled to free himself for a moment before he suddenly turned into steam without the jounin ever noticing.

xxxxx

Sasuke blinked in slight confusion. One minute, he was inside a hole. The next minute, he was standing in front of Naruto and Sakura in the middle of the forest. "What's going on here?" he asked.

"We watched the show you and Kakashi put on." Naruto stated. "Not bad, by the way. But with him, you'll need much more than the amateur tactics you displayed."

Sasuke growled before he lunged to attack him, but found his arms to be held back by Sakura. "Let me go, now!" he demanded, only to be bopped on the head by Naruto.

"Pipe down or he'll hear you." the blond hissed. Once Sasuke settled down a little, mostly due to the fact that Sakura seemed stronger than she looked, Naruto continued. "Listen, there's no way any of us, even combined, could beat Kakashi. Not only is he much stronger than us, but he's more skilled than all of us put together. He is an experienced jounin while we are fresh out of the academy gennin. Going in there alone is foolishness and you know it."

"At least I touched the bells." Sasuke argued.

"So? I could have got them both from the get go if I actually put some effort into it, but what would it accomplish? Nothing." Naruto pointed out.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke wondered.

"What he means is that we would still fail because the bells aren't the real goal." Sakura replied for her friend. "Simply put, we need to show teamwork in order to pass, something Naruto and I both have. You, on the other hand, don't seem to have any desire to work with us at all."

"Because you'll only get in my way." Sasuke briefly explained.

"No. You think we'll get in your way. How sure are you that we will?" Sasuke opened his mouth to explain further, but Sakura cut him off. "The answer is you're not. We both can tell how much of a lone wolf you are. Ninjas work in squads for a reason. Going solo is too dangerous, especially against a superior opponent."

"Your best shot at defeating him is with teamwork, but you must be willing to work together in order to achieve that." Naruto added. "So what's your decision, Sasuke? Work with us and, hopefully, obtain the bells... or don't and continue your brooding as a civilian while attending another year at the academy."

Sasuke snarled at them before finally shrugging Sakura off of him. "I can't waste my time here. I must become stronger and I must do it alone." he told them. "I am an avenger. That's how I walk the path of life."

"Then you will walk the path of life alone, avenger; most likely to an early death at the hands of those you will use you." Naruto stated sagely, repeating the words that Kyuubi told him to say. He then turned and walked away. "Come on, Sakura. It looks like he'll need to learn this lesson the hard way."

Sakura nodded before following her friend, leaving Sasuke alone in the forest.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, the three vixens waited for their friends to return. They were bored for a few minutes after everyone left until Kakashi appeared and handed them a deck of cards he managed to swipe from Naruto's vest. Since then, they passed the time by playing poker with their tails, since they had to stay in their true form.

They looked up as Kakashi walked back into the clearing. "So what's the score?" he asked.

**"I'm in the lead with twenty-five wins."** Tsuki replied with a smile.

**"I have nineteen wins."** Kouen replied, wagging one of her tails.

**"And I have seventeen wins."** Ginko replied with a yawn. **"When will this test be over, Kakashi? I'm getting bored."**

Kakashi looked at the clock, which still sat on the post, and said, "They still have another five minutes before the alarm goes off. Just enough time for one more attempt."

"Indeed." Naruto's voice echoed throughout the clearing as white lotus and cherry blossom pedals swirled around the jounin before he saw a group of naked women stand in front of him. Each one had clouds hiding their more intimate parts from view.

Kakashi's eye bugged out as the women winked at him before slowly walking to him, swaying their hips enticingly. The vixens sweat-dropped before quickly gathering up the cards and making a discreet retreat. They wanted to be away from this.

The group of women kept Kakashi's attention on them as they slowly advanced. Once they surrounded him, they hugged him with big smiles and giggles. Kakashi felt like he was in heaven... until he felt his danger senses blaring. He had little warning when the group of nude beauties suddenly exploded.

With the vixens, they laughed as they saw the group of nude women explode. They knew what just happened. They saw it happen a couple of days ago when they were cornered by a couple of drunken chūnin who wanted to rape them, but found a group of angry kunoichis restrain the perverts before exploding, knocking them out.

When the smoke cleared, Kakashi was nowhere to be found. "Damn. He got away again." Naruto said as he walked into the clearing with Sakura.

"Where could he have gone? I thought your Bombshell Harem would knock him out?" Sakura wondered.

"Perhaps he knew they were bombs and not real beauties. After all, no guy is that lucky." Naruto explained.

'Speak for yourself.' Sakura thought with a blush, remembering a particular holiday party over a year ago.

They were interrupted with Kakashi walking back onto the field. "You know, that was a little low, Naruto." he stated in a bored tone.

"So? Consider it payback for trying to shove your fingers up my ass as well as taking my deck of cards." Naruto irritably retorted, causing the girls to blush.

"Watch what you say, Naruto. We have ladies present." Kakashi scolded him.

Naruto's eye twitched before he vanished. He reappeared behind Kakashi with a spin kick. The jounin ducked under it and felt the power of the kick from the wind. 'That would have hurt.' he mused before raising his left elbow up. Naruto stopped the elbow with his left hand before thrusting an open right palm at the scarecrow, who disappeared when he felt the chakra in the hand. The area where he once stood exploded in a cloud of dust and debris as Naruto released the chakra.

Once he landed, he glanced at Sakura, who merely nodded before vanishing. "We still have about four minutes, Kakashi. I think that's enough time to get the bells." he said loud enough for the man to hear him.

"Hmm... I think I'll take those odds." Kakashi's voice rang out before emerging from underground, his right fist held high in an uppercut. Naruto backflipped out of the way before spinning his body low in a sweep kick. Kakashi leaped over the kick, then blocked the follow-up flaming uppercut. He winced. Naruto's blows sting, especially if he used _that_ jutsu.

Naruto rolled back before assuming a battle stance, his hands covered in flames. "The Flaming Palms, an interesting fire jutsu. I'm impressed that you actually know it, Naruto, let alone can use it without hand signs." Kakashi commented.

Naruto smirked. "What can I say? If I'm gonna make my parents proud, I got to be better than good." he said.

Kakashi chuckled. "Then show me just how better than good you are." The flames on Naruto's hands quickly died as he dashed forward with a flaming left elbow. Kakashi dodged the elbow, as well as the flaming knee that followed. He then ducked under the high roundhouse kick, which was also on fire, before blocking another flaming elbow. Naruto smirked again before he vanished, with Sakura appearing on the jounin's blindside a split second later. She aimed a flaming kick high and saw the man duck under it before her flaming fist came down on his crouched form. He vanished before the blow could hit him, but the ground that her collided with cracked from the force of the punch, which shocked Kakashi a little. 'What does she bench press, a bull?' he wondered, but knew that she uses her chakra to amplify her hits. She would quickly build it up, and then release it at the point of impact. 'Such control at her age is astounding. No wonder Lady Tsunade took quite an interest in her.' He was fully informed of his three charges and their abilities. So far, they're showing him a portion of their skills and can tell that only two of them understood the point of this exercise. He had to smile under his mask before wiping it away and resuming their battle.

xxxxx

Hidden in the trees, Sasuke fumed with barely suppressed rage. 'They've been hiding their skills this whole time?' he raged. He saw the fire jutsu both his teammates displayed and knew that only an Uchiha can use the Flaming Palms technique to such a degree. What's worse is that he doesn't know the jutsu yet, for he doesn't have the control to handle it without burning his hands. Yet, the clanless loser and his pink-haired cheerleader can do it without any trouble at all. He will discover their secret, whatever it may be. He is one of the elite, an Uchiha. He has a right to know.

xxxxx

With the triplets, they've been watching the action for the past three minutes. Kakashi has basically been on the defensive while Naruto and Sakura put the Flaming Palms and their own taijutsu skills to full use. They always use the jutsu when they're about to attack and only with that limb. Each time one of their hits were blocked, they would switch with the other so they can rest for a bit. They know that Naruto is more skilled in taijutsu than Sakura, but her hits were stronger than his due to her high chakra control. Sakura's strength may be chakra augmented, but Naruto's is all natural. If he ever succeeded in doing the same as Sakura, then he could become stronger than the Slug Queen herself!

The six of them, as well as the hidden Sasuke, were interrupted when the clock finally rang, signaling to all that it's noon.

Kakashi sighed. Saved by the bell. "Well, it looks like your time is up." he said. "And it seems that you haven't retrieve a be-"

He was cut off by two small bells ringing. "You were saying?" Naruto and Sakura said as they each held a bell in one hand while the other was around the other's waist.

The vixens had to cover their muzzles with their tails to avoid laughing. They saw the duo each pilfer a bell about two minutes ago and hide it on their person without Kakashi noticing or the bells ringing. They knew Naruto was great at stealing things from people without anyone catching him in the act, but they had no idea that Sakura was that good. They were so glad their mother was recording this!

xxxxx

Moments later found each of the three gennin sitting in front of the posts. Sasuke was against the middle one, tied up by ninja wire, with Naruto on his right and Sakura on his left. Kakashi then presented the untied gennin with two of the six bento boxes while he sat three more down for the vixens. "Well now. Judging from your performance, I only have this to say. Sasuke will not be going back to the academy." Kakashi said to them. Naruto, Sakura and the vixens looked confused while Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Instead, you should drop out of the ninja program altogether."

This shocked them all. "What?" Sasuke asked, enraged.

Kakashi's expression became very serious. "Do you think this is a game, Sasuke? A way for you to become stronger for personal reasons? Being a ninja is an occupation that must be taken seriously. We protect our village and its people with our lives. We carry out various orders, from missions to assassinations. Those who do not take this seriously end up dead." He then paused before asking, "Do you know the true purpose of this exercise, Sasuke?" Sasuke did not answer, still fuming from Kakashi's comment. "Teamwork. A ninja may be powerful on their own. But without teamwork, they will lose to a superior opponent. Your teammates fully understand this concept, but you do not, apparently. If you cannot understand teamwork, I cannot allow you to become a ninja nor will I train you." He turned around a walked away from the group, ignoring the enraged Uchiha.

He stopped in front of a black stone with dozens of names carved on it. "This stone has the names of my friends and family carved on it. They're all heroes to this village."

Kakashi was interrupted by Naruto. "Kakashi, is that what I think it is?" he asked, looking intently at the stone.

Kakashi nodded. "Yes, Naruto. This is the Memorial Stone. The names carved on here have fought for this village, but were killed in action or KIA. They are honored for their sacrifice and are considered heroes of the village." He saw Naruto get up and walk to the stone. He saw his hand trace over the various names on it, though he focused on a few names that Kakashi recognized.

'Sakumo Hatake, the legendary White Fang.' Naruto thought as he traced his fingers over the war hero's name. 'Rin Inuzuka... Obito Uchiha... Minato Namikaze.' He paused, remembering that this was Kakashi's old squad. 'Why do I feel such an attachment to these names?' "Kakashi, give the boy another chance." he said in an emotionless tone that did not sound like his own. "Knowing him, he will fuss about it until the council grants him his wish, much to someone else's headache. He needs to learn this lesson, one way or another. If he doesn't, all he will do is simply throw his life away following the blind arrogance that he currently has. That will only cause more problems, though we both know that he does not care."

Kakashi blinked and wondered if this was the fox's doing or not. 'As much as I want to say no, I can't deny the fact that Naruto's right.' he thought before sighing. "Alright then, I'll give him one more chance." He then turned back to Sasuke and Sakura, knowing that Naruto is listening to him. "I will give you all thirty minutes to eat and rest up. Afterwhich, you will have two hours to reclaim the bells from me." He held up his hand and they saw the bells were there. Sakura and Naruto checked their supply pouches, only to find them gone. "However, Sasuke is forbidden from eating. This is your punishment for not getting it the first time. Be glad that Naruto wanted you to have another chance or I would have simply sent them back and removed you from the ninja program." His face then took on a dark look as he glared at them. "Out here, my word is law. Got it?" He didn't give them a chance to answer before he vanished in a puff of smoke.

Naruto walked back to the post and sighed as he sat down, placing the bento on his lap. "Why?" he heard Sasuke ask him.

He looked at the boy, still tied to the stump. "Why what?"

"Why did you say all of that?" Sasuke was generally confused. He never figured that Naruto, of all people, would ask to give him another chance.

Even though Naruto didn't like it, he knew what Sasuke was asking all along. "Because you have potential and I don't want to see it being wasted by you being a spoiled brat." he replied.

Sasuke glared at him. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

Naruto glared right back at him. "THIS is what I mean! As soon as something doesn't go your way, you whine about it and try to get it changed to the way you want it to be. That's not how the world works. Only spoiled, immature brats think that way, believing that the world can be bent to their will. That is not how a ninja should think. All that will do is get you and your comrades killed!" His glare hardened as his eyes started to glow. "Tell me, avenger. Why do you seek this occupation?"

Sasuke's glare hardened. "There's someone I have to kill. I can't sit here and play these games with you and your weak cheerleader. I must get stronger to kill him, to avenge my clan." he explained.

Naruto shook his head. "Revenge is not something a ninja needs. It has ruined many careers because revenge only breeds more revenge. Once you achieve your goal, you're left with nothing but an empty void. You'll then desire to fill that void by going after another face... and another... and another. And then one day when you're all alone, you'll realize that vengeance has become your life... and you won't know why. Can you deal with that?"

When Sasuke's glare didn't let up, Naruto sighed. "I see now..." He looked at Sakura with an apologetic look. "Let's go, Sakura. Looks like we failed this test." Sakura nodded while glaring at the tied up Uchiha. They stood up and placed their bento boxes on the ground before they took off their headbands. The three vixens then hopped into Naruto's arms and Sakura laced her own around one of his before they walked off.

Once they were out of sight, Kakashi sighed before walking back into the clearing. He shook his head before collecting the still unopened bento boxes and the headbands, including Sasuke's, and untying him. He then vanished without a word, leaving a confused and fuming Uchiha behind.

xxxxx

A/N: Plot twist! Didn't see that one coming, did you? Well, don't you worry. My next chapter should take care of some of the raging people who wanted to see them succeed in the test. Anyway, please read and review. Also, the line I used at the end is from Batman Forever, which I do not own.

Changes from before: One of the things I did not do the first time around was the gennin test. I call it that because it's where they are tested to see if they are ready to become gennin. If not, they'll be sent back to the academy for more training or removed from the ninja program if they show the wrong stuff. On my first run, I skipped it and was planning on including what happened either later in the story or in a side story, but I never got that far. Instead, I decided to get it over with, especially since it's part of the plot. I also extended and changed what took place during team placements. I have written two versions of it after I posted the original chapter six. One version was simply an extended version of said chapter while the other included a different lineup than before, since it was going to be the beginning of a spin-off. I'm going to include both versions at the end of this and the next chapter.

Translation:

Ne: Rat; Hold your left hand upwards with the index and middle fingers outstretched, the hold your right hand with the index and middle fingers over the left hand's index and middle fingers while the ring and pinky fingers wrapped around the same fingers.  
Hitsugi: Ram; Hold your hands together with the right hand over the left and the index and middle fingers outstretched.

Response Corner:

notgonnasay09: Actually, I have done some study on Japanese culture, language and other things related to Japan while I was writing my stories. I did this mainly to understand what they were saying due to many of the stories having japanese words in them. It's easier to understand the story if you know what they're saying, right? And yes, the Narutoverse's culture is more eastern influenced than western. I mean, it's based on Japan. Also, I'm glad I was able to help you understand my story better.

Now, since you brought it up, I will say that this story was raised to the M rating out of safety. You have nothing to fear in regards to seeing any lemons, or limes for that matter, in this story. I doubt even a citrus will slip its way in here. Before the rewrite, I had no plans of writing any lemons in this story. That still holds true now. I hope that clears that up for you.

Gravity The Wizard: Not that you mentioned it, I'm not really sure. When I first started this, I didn't know that Yugito was the two-tailed jinchuuriki. After I received a review that mentioned her, I wondered who she was. Now, though, I know about her, but am still unsure if I'm going to include her or not. Well, even if I do, that won't be for a very long while.

Zamrok: I didn't explain Naruto's kekkei genkai yet because I haven't officially revealed it yet. Remember, he has two and I've only showed part of one, but very little of the other. I have a good reason for this.

Fester0662: Remember your review during arc one chapter two? Well, what would you say if I did a omake of that scene in a later chapter? I mean, it would be an interesting scene for me to do. I don't mind doing it, but I want to know if you want me to.

One of the things I never did mention is that I'm okay with requests of editing certain scenes in my story to be added as an omake. I usually don't do them myself unless it's a deleted scene. However, I'm okay with omake requests. Just one thing, though. I won't accept all of them. Only those that I approve of will appear. Also, I'll give credit to the one who requested it.

Important Notice: 11/22/2009: Due to recent information gathered, I have updated arc one's chapters four and six and arc two's chapters one. If you want, go ahead and reread them. You may notice the difference.

xxxxx

A/N: The following is the beginning of a possible spin-off of my first run of this story. It is a modified version of the extra chapter that will be featured at the end of the next chapter and has been edited to remove the spelling and grammar errors that existed in the original chapter.

**Story Name: The Kitsune and the Neko: The Forest Trio Chronicles**  
**Chapter Name: The Forest Trio United**

Somewhere in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, two twelve-year-olds are seen walking together. The reason why is because they are dating and are going to pick up their friend. Why you might ask? Because their team assignments are announced today.

The two teens approached their destination, the Yamanaka Flower Shop, home of their good friend, Ino Yamanaka. Once inside, they're greeted by the girl's mother, Ikana. "Good morning, you two." she greeted with a smile.

"Good morning, Lady Ikana." the couple respond in unison, also with smiles.

"Is Ino still here? She wanted us all to go to the academy together." the boy asked. He wasn't who one might call 'normal', but he didn't care, nor did his girlfriend or the woman in front of him. The reason why is because he has a demon sealed inside of him and all three of them know it. He's dressed in a navy blue t-shirt with a red-orange cargo vest over it for warmth, red-orange ninja pants with the right thigh taped up so his weapon holster can be tied to his thigh. On his left hip is a supply pouch, containing what he might need besides just weapons. His left thigh is taped up also for a scroll holster. Navy blue fingerless gloves adorn his hands, perfect for close-range fighting. He completed his look with blue ninja sandals on his feet and his headband, a symbol that he's a shinobi, around his forehead to keep his blond hair out of his brilliant blue eyes. His appearance is strikingly similar to another blond that the village knows, except this teen has three whisker-like marks on each of his cheeks, a trait some females might call cute.

"She is, but I don't think she's ready yet." Ikana replied.

"May I go check on her?" the girl asked. The girl's attire wasn't too different from the boy's. She's wearing a dark blue t-shirt with a beige cargo vest over it with her clan's insignia on the back, dark blue ninja pants with both thighs taped up, like the boy's, with blue ninja sandals on her feet. She also has the same kind of equipment on her as well. Her headband is around her neck, something kunoichis commonly do. She has midnight blue hair that's cropped short with two tails on each side, framing her face. Her pupilless pale lavender eyes are one of her clan's unique traits. Her pale skin and petite figure makes her look like an angel, at least to the boy next to her. And, like the boy, she also has a demon sealed inside her, but only the couple is aware of this.

"Sure Hinata, you can. But Naruto has to stay here, though." Ikana answered.

Both teens nod and the girl, now named Hinata, made her way upstairs to check on their friend.

xxxxx

Inside her room, a girl is gearing up, just incase something might happen. She has light blonde hair that flows down to her slim waist. It's so long, she had to tie it up in a high ponytail, bringing it up higher above her waist. With her deep teal eyes, she looks herself over in a full body mirror. Dressed in a violet top with no sleeves and her midriff showing, a matching skirt and wrappings underneath, which covered herself up quite well so no one can get any perverted ideas. If they did, the twin daggers on her slender legs will deal with them, if her surrogate brother doesn't first. The daggers are inside holsters strapped to her shins. Her headband is tied around her waist, like a belt. Her holster and pouch are also on, like the boy and girl not too far away. Her name is Ino Yamanaka of the Forest Shinobi; childhood friend of Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuuga.

Suddenly, Ino heard a knock on the door before a familiar voice filtered into her room. "Ino, it's me, Hinata. Naruto and I are on our way to the academy together. Do you want to walk with us?"

"Sorry, but I'm not ready yet. Can you two go on without me?" Ino asked. Of course she wanted to walk with them. It was her idea to go together so, maybe, they can be placed on the same squad. Although that may not happen anyways, much to their dismay. They know that only one kunoichi is placed on each squad. Why, they don't know. They wish they would be on the same squad, but they know that it'll never happen. Ino has known the couple since they were six years old. She's become very close to them and, since they've been dating, only wanted to protect that bond and not break it or see someone else break it. Although she doubts that'll ever happen, it is possible.

"Okay, Ino. We'll see you there." Hinata's sweet voice rang through the door. Ino can hear her footsteps as she went downstairs.

'Sorry, you two, but I'm not ready yet.' Ino thought sadly. She really wanted to go as a group, but she woke up a bit late. 'Stupid alarm clock.' she complained.

xxxxx

Hinata arrived downstairs to see Naruto admiring the flowers all over the shop. He noticed her approach him and asked, "So what did she say?"

"She said to go on without us." Hinata replied.

Naruto frowned, but nodded. "Okay then. Let's get moving." They bid their farewells to Ikana before leaving the flower shop.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, another girl is looking herself over in the mirror. Her green eyes gaze at her petite figure to see if she looks good enough for the day. She's in a red chinese-style dress with black tight shorts underneath. Her headband is tied around her pink hair that cascades down her shoulders like a hairband, keeping her bangs in front like a fashion statement.

With one final look and a wink, she dons her ninja gear. She heads to the door and slides on her blue ninja sandals. Her destination: the Ninja Academy. Bidding a 'see you later' to her mother, she's out the door.

Along the way, she passed by the Yamanaka Flower Shop, right when Ino was exiting. Both girls eye each other before resuming their trek to the academy.

A few choice words, signifying a small argument, are heard before the girls start to increase their walking pace. Soon, they dash towards their goal, leaving a trail of dust in their wake.

xxxxx

At the academy, Hinata entered the classroom and sat in her regular seat, the center seat on the top row, near the door. She looks around to see who all is there. On the opposite side of the room, a row down from her, is this year's rookie of the year, Sasuke Uchiha. Every girl is interested in him for perhaps one reason, he's the last Uchiha. He's also the class heartthrob. She was never interested in him, like the other girls are, because of his attitude. He's a lone wolf in nature after what happened to his clan four years ago. He wasn't like this before. But even back then, she didn't like him like the other girls, even Ino, do. She has always had a crush on Naruto. His kindness towards her has spawned it and has caused it to grow into love. Right now, they've been dating for less than a year, but they've known each other for seven years. Unlike the girls in their class, Hinata's love for Naruto is both real and true instead of a simple material crush.

About a minute after she'd entered, Naruto entered and went straight to his regular seat, the same row as Sasuke. But unlike the Uchiha, who sits near the window, he sits near the middle isle with a spot between them. While going to his seat, he briefly glanced at Hinata. She catches this and smiles. His gaze then drifts to everyone in the room. Obviously, their teacher, Iruka Umino, isn't here yet. He noticed that two of his friends are. Sitting in the middle seat, to his right, is Chouji Akimichi. He's considered fat by most of the class, but he really isn't. He and the boy's best friend, Shikamaru Nara, are two that knows this. He may be slow, but he's strong. He'd arm wrestled Chouji before and has never beaten him with his weights on. If he took them off, then he just might. Both Naruto and Hinata wear weights on their forearms and shins. They're not seen, due to a genjutsu seal to make them invisible. The weights themselves store chakra to make them heavier. They also serve as a second chakra reserve, in case they may need more. Shikamaru, on the other hand, is considered very lazy. But in reality, he's a genius. He's probably smarter than the teachers. Naruto plays him in Go and Shogi, but has never been able to beat him. Shikamaru likes playing with Naruto because he gives him a challenge with his impressive comebacks if he's backed into a corner. Shikamaru's father, Shikaku, rated Naruto's intelligence as above average, smarter than most of the kids in their class, despite his grades being so low. He guessed that he was like Shikamaru, too lazy to do the work.

Sitting in his seat, Naruto lays his head on his arms to relax for a bit. Some could say he's asleep, because his eyes are closed. Only a few knew better.

Shikamaru walks up to sit next to Chouji when he spotted Naruto in his seat. The Nara didn't notice the boy's headband, though, but he did know that he wasn't asleep. "Naruto! What are you doing here? This isn't for dropouts, you know!" he pointed out.

Naruto looked up slightly when he heard Shikamaru's voice. "Look again, Shikamaru. I'm a ninja like you now." he stated while pointing at his headband with his thumb. Shikamaru just shrugged his shoulders and walked on, sitting with Chouji, who's currently working on a bag of potato chips.

A few seconds later, Ino and Sakura enter the room, but were stuck at the door frame and making a lot of noise.

"First!" they both exclaimed once they got unstuck while trying to enter the classroom. Once the other heard this, they faced each other and glared.

"I was here first, Ino-pig, so I'm sitting next to Sasuke!" Sakura stated.

"What are you talking about, Billboard Brow? I was here first!" Ino retorted.

Some of the students looked at them. Naruto looked as well and knew what's going on. 'Not this again. Do they ever stop arguing?' he thought to himself. Ino and Sakura were once best friends, but because they both liked the same guy, that guy being Sasuke, they ended up becoming rivals. Ino didn't take this too well because she really did like Sakura, but didn't outwardly show it. Since then, they've always argued, something Naruto assumed was their way of showing that they still cared for one another, but can't prove it. 'Sheesh, I'm glad Ino and I aren't like that... most of the time.' There are times that the two surrogate siblings argued, but it was never this bad. Usually, it was over some kind of minor disagreement that wasn't so bad, but mattered to them. Other times, it would be major, something that is understandable that an argument would sprout. What Naruto is seeing before him is an almost everyday occurrence, and an annoying one at that. He rolled his eyes, shook his head and smiled at their silly antics.

After focusing on them again, he noticed Sakura moving towards him with one goal in mind: sitting next to Sasuke. To be honest, he would rather have Ino sit next to him than Sakura. The pink-haired girl, for some reason, thinks that he's an obstacle that's in between her and Sasuke. Naruto doesn't care who gets him and knows that he's not in Sakura's way. He doesn't even like her that way. She's been rude and mean to him from the start, calling him an idiot, annoying and any other insult she can think of. He hopes that he doesn't end up on her team; he wouldn't be able to stand it. She also would use him as a punching bag whenever she's angry, despite the fact that she's never landed a single hit on him. A girl like that shouldn't even be in this occupation. She would only be a live target out there.

Before Sakura got to her destination, she saw Naruto look away from her and stand up, knowing he doesn't want to start anything today. She figured that she's shown him who's boss, but he just doesn't want to deal with her right now. "Hi, Sasuke. Can I sit next to you?" she asked the boy in a sweet voice.

Sasuke gazed at her briefly, but doesn't verbally respond to her. His outward appearance is one of sheer boredom. His inward appearance, on the other hand, is similar to Naruto's. He doesn't want to deal with his fan club today. He hopes that his teammates are both competent and won't get in his way. He knows that Naruto is somewhat good and is probably holding back, considering that his grades stink, but his skills are quite impressive. He's the only guy that could really best him... more like the only student in class. The girls, not counting Ino and Hinata, keep on complaining that Naruto was cheating somehow. He knows that he isn't and can even feel the weights on his limbs, but decided to ignore them. His aim was almost as good as his; near perfect. The same with Ino and Hinata. Only one person is better with projectiles than they are; Tenshi "Tenten" Kazama, the Weapon's Mistress. She can hit a bull's eye without even seeing the target, she that good. And her knowledge in weapons is astounding.

Sakura's question catches Ino's attention. She wanted to sit next to Sasuke because she would be sitting next to Naruto as well. Two for the price for one, you could say. But she didn't want her or anyone else knowing that, except for Naruto and Hinata, who most likely already knew. "No way, Sakura! I'm sitting next to him!" she declared as she approached her.

The argument between the two former best friends resumed once again and the other girls, minus Hinata, joined them. Naruto quickly moved out of the way so he's not pinned in this female squabble. With only Hinata's eyes on him, Naruto appeared next to Sasuke, his back to Sasuke's left.

Looking over his shoulder with his eyes closed, he speaks to the boy. "Quite hectic, isn't it, Sasuke?"

Sasuke doesn't answer him, but he does look in Naruto's direction. He knows that the blond boy didn't notice his small smirk because his eyes are closed.

Once the arguing girls heard those five words, they look over at Naruto, whose back is against the wall, and see his eyes closed. The girls didn't even notice Sasuke's small smirk. "Naruto, quit glaring at Sasuke!" Sakura shouted, forgetting that you can only glare at someone if their eyes are actually open.

"Now how can I be glaring at him with my eyes closed?" he calmly stated, pointing out the obvious.

Ino and Sasuke agreed with him, but only Ino nodded her head. 'He has a point there.' they both thought along those lines.

The other girls ignored him and started yelling at him. This got on six people's nerves. Shikamaru, for them being so loud and annoying. Chouji, for them acting like children. Ino, for being such a pain and insulting her brother, who didn't do anything wrong. She stepped out of the crowd while rolling her eyes and went to sit in the back row. Hinata, for insulting and yelling at her boyfriend. Sasuke, for them being idiots and annoying. And Naruto, for giving him a headache, via his ears receiving a beating from their loud volume, and majorly getting on his nerves. He was also getting bored and that didn't help his anger one bit. "Fine, fine. I'll go, I'll go." he says, opening his eyes and heading towards the back row. As he does so, he shook his head at their immaturity. 'Those girls aren't gonna survive out there.' he thought. Being alone for so long has forced him to grow up early on in life. Fortunately, his friends kept the kid in him alive. Otherwise, he probably would have ended up acting like Sasuke, not caring about anyone else.

He sat down next to Ino, who just looked at him and shrugged. He shrugged back before laying his head down and covering his ears, with Ino following suit, because the argument with the girls started up again after Naruto's statement. After awhile, Hinata, Shikamaru and Chouji mimics the two blondes. Their ears were getting a real beating from the horde of banshees.

After about a minute of this, Iruka steps in and breaks it up, much to the relief of the rest of the class. Four out of the five sat up and sighed in relief. Shikamaru, on the other hand, merely sighed, but doesn't sit up. He didn't really feel like it.

"Alright class, settle down." Iruka called out, a clipboard in his hand. Everyone sat down as he begins his final lecture. The hardest thing for a teacher is to say goodbye to their students for the last time. This is his least favorite thing about his job, but it must be done anyways. "All right everyone, listen up. Now that you are all shinobi, it's time for you to work towards your careers as one. There will be times where you'll have to put your life on the line out there to protect a comrade or the village as a whole. This is no joke and you can't treat it like one. Now, to prepare you all for this, you'll all be placed into squads of three. Each squad will have a jounin instructor who will guide and train you in the ninja arts so you'll be better prepared out there. Right now, you are all gennin, considered the lowest in rank. As time passes, you'll all gain the experience needed to reach the higher ranks and, eventually, your goals." He looked over the class, who took all this information in like a sponge, except for most of the girls and roughly half of the boys. 'I really hope they're ready for this.' Iruka thought before announcing the squads.

A minute later... "Okay, squad seven. Shino Aburame, Sasuke Uchiha..." This got the Forest Trio's attention, along with another.

'Please don't say Hinata or Ino. Please don't say Hinata or Ino.' Naruto, Hinata and Ino chanted in their minds.

'Please say Sakura. Please say Sakura.' Sakura and her inner chanted in their minds.

"...and Sakura Haruno." Iruka announced.

"Hurray!" Sakura cheered. She turned around and faced Ino and held up a peace sign, not noticing the girl's sigh of relief, along with two others.

**"CHA! That's right!"** Sakura's inner exclaimed while giving herself two thumbs up.

'Thank goodness.' the trio thought to themselves. They knew that only one kunoichi can be placed on a squad. The three of them hated that rule, but there's another rule that Naruto hated even more. 'It's a good thing Iruka-sensei didn't apply it.' It's a well known fact that the best and the worst in class are put onto the same squad. Since the best is Sasuke and the worst is, technically, Naruto, since he had to hold back because the instructors kept saying that he's cheating whenever he does good, they should be on the same squad. Fortunately, there's a way to bypass that rule, but only the Hokage could allow it.

The other girls didn't take this too well and started complaining about why they weren't placed on Sasuke's team and why Sakura was. Naruto, Hinata and Ino, meanwhile, covered their ears again to guard them against the banshee-like yelling.

Iruka stopped that again, much to the trio's relief, before continuing. "Moving on, squad eight. Naruto Uzumaki..." This immediately catches the trio's attention. This also caught the attention of another person, hoping that a certain crush of his isn't picked.

'Please say Hinata or Ino. Please say Hinata or Ino.' Naruto chanted in his mind.

'Please say Hinata. Please say Hinata.' Hinata chanted in her mind.

'Please say Ino. Please say Ino.' Ino chanted in her mind.

'Please say don't Hinata. Please don't say Hinata.' the mystery boy chanted in his mind.

"...Hinata Hyuuga..." Iruka added.

'NO!' the mystery boy screamed in his head, disappointed that his crush is teamed up with the loser.

'Please say Ino. Please say Ino.' the trio chanted in their minds, hoping it would make it true.

"...and Ino Yamanaka." Iruka announced, making the trio's day.

'YES!' the trio cheered to themselves, their wish granted. The young couple are now hoping that their friend, Kurenai Yuuhi, is their jounin instructor. Ever since Hinata enrolled into the academy, she was always escorted there by her cousin, Neji. After a year, Kurenai began escorting her. Sometimes, Naruto would join them on their stroll, but would always take another route before they got too close to the building. At the time, Kurenai was a chūnin. They knew she was promoted to jounin recently and hoped that she would take on students, mainly them. Now, they just might get their wish.

Iruka now wraps it up by announcing the final squad. "And lastly, squad ten. Kiba Inuzuka, Shikamaru Nara and Chouji Akimichi." Naruto smiled once those names were given. He knows that Shikamaru and Chouji were best friends, being one of their friends, and wished that they ended up together. From time to time, he would join the two boys for lunch while sometimes playing Shikamaru in a game of Shogi or Go. So far, Naruto has never beaten Shikamaru in either game, but both boys found it entertaining whenever they do play.

"Now, it's time for lunch. Afterwards, meet back here to meet your new instructors." Iruka said to the class before everyone got up and left, save for three close friends.

"Naruto, Ino, Hinata, is there something you need to know?" the scarred chūnin asked, guessing that it is as such.

"Iruka-sensei, were you the one who put us together and not utilize that stupid rule?" Naruto asked. He knows that Iruka knows what rule he's talking about.

"Not quite, Naruto. Yes, I wanted to arrange it where you three would be paired together, but you three were requested to be placed on the same team before I could even voice my opinion. Plus, the jounin have the final say in this." Iruka admitted with a smile. He knew those three are long time friends. He found out two nights ago that Naruto and Hinata are dating, so it would only be fitting to keep them together. "Plus, it's tradition that the best and the worst in class are placed up on the same squad, you know that."

"So who are the best and the worst?" Naruto's question was answered when Iruka showed them the class rankings and how the squads were set up. The trio's eyes were wide in shock. "Is this right?"

"It sure is, Naruto. This came from Lord Hokage himself. You know better than anyone that he wouldn't lie about anything to a friend, especially this." Iruka said, smiling even wider at their shocked faces. The document he held in his hand showed that Sakura was the worst in class, Sasuke was the best and the trio were actually tied for second place in class rankings. "I think we all should celebrate. Who's up for sushi?" Iruka suggested, snapping the pre-teens out of their shock. The three smiled and nodded. Then, the four of them went to find a sushi restaurant.

xxxxx

On the way out, they've spotted Shikamaru and Chouji leaning against a wall. "Hey, you three." Chouji called, getting their attention.

"Hey, Chouji, Shika." Naruto called out to them.

"So, you wanna join us for lunch?" Shikamaru asked.

Iruka looked on with a smile. "Why don't you five go on without me?"

"You sure?" Ino asked.

"Yeah. We can reschedule that lunch for tomorrow." the chūnin said before walking away.

The five new gennin shrugged and left for lunch.

xxxxx

A/N: That's as far as I made it in the chapter. At this point, going any further is pointless.

I won't give a preview for next chapter. That shall be a surprise.

Later!


	10. Arc 2 Chapter 3

**The Kitsune and the Neko**

"Talking"  
'Thoughts'  
**Inner/Demon/Deity/Dire Beast  
**_Flashback/Mind Link_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Arc 2: Ninja Life  
Chapter 3: Council Headaches**

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his office as he, Iruka Umino and Yuki Youko waited for the nine jounin instructors to show up. He figured that out of the twenty-seven that graduated, only nine of them will become gennin. He knows that at least nine of them has the potential to be ninjas, his young friend included.

Over the course of several minutes, the nine jounin entered his office and sat down in the nine chairs reserved for them. "Now that you are all here, we can begin." Hiruzen announced. "We'll go in descending order. Asuma, if you will?"

Asuma stood up and removed his cigarette. "My squad is number ten; Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara and Chouji Akimichi. Their test was to steal my cigarette without ruining it or putting it out. Shikamaru, despite his chronic laziness, came up with a plan of action. It took over an hour, but Shikamaru managed to trap me in his clan's Shadow Paralysis Jutsu, which he dubbed the Shadow Possession Jutsu. Chouji then restrained me before Ino used her clan's Mind Transfer Jutsu to control me. After she gave my cigarette to Shikamaru, she returned to her body." Some of the jounin chuckled. "Anyway, Ino shows excellent skill in both genjutsu and her twin daggers, Souga: Hi-Rai. Her ninjutsu and taijutsu aren't as good, but they're not bad either. She's a bit bossy at times, but she has a good head on her shoulders. Shikmaru also shows some skill in ninjutsu and taijutsu, albeit he only puts in the minimum effort. He's also very smart, more so than he portrays. I think I should test his IQ to find out just how smart he is. Chouji, despite his size and speed, is very strong. His ninjutsu and taijutsu skills are impressive, especially since he used two earth style jutsu during the test."

"Which two?" Kakashi asked, surprised that more young gennin are displaying skill in elemental ninjutsu.

"Well, the first is the Headhunter Jutsu, though he caught my clone and not the real me. The second is the Mud Wall jutsu. He used it to guard his squad against a low-powered wind jutsu." Asuma explained. "All in all, they have exceeded my expectations and show the potential to become even greater than their fathers."

Sarutobi nodded. "Kurenai?"

Kurenai stood up as Asuma sat down. She is a beautiful young woman with long raven-colored hair, maroon eyes and is garbed in a red battle kimono that's missing the right sleeve and white bandage-like cloth wrapped around her. "My squad is number eight; Hinata Hyuuga, Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame. Their test was to locate three particular eggs and to only use their contents to catch me. One egg contains a roll of ninja wire. Another egg contains four blood-red-painted shuriken. The last egg contains twelve blood-red-painted senbon. After nearly thirty minutes of searching, my squad found the eggs. Shino then formulated an effective plan. He used his parasitic beetles to distract me while Kiba and Akamaru used their clan jutsu to lure me into their trap. Hinata then used her clan's Gentle Fist style to push me into position so she can use the wire and shuriken to tie me to a tree. She then used the senbon to disable me. They did not show much skill in ninjutsu or genjutsu, but their skill in both taijutsu and their clan techniques is quite impressive. Hinata has shown great potential in ninjutsu with the use of the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu as well as medical knowledge with healing me after the test. She has great flexibility, balance and chakra control, seemingly more than most Hyuuga her age. Kiba is your typical Inuzuka: loud, brash and arrogant. However, he seems to be attracted to Hinata, but the feeling isn't mutual. Shino is your typical Aburame: silent, stoic and efficient. His level head and sense of logic, apparently, will be the balance for this squad. In short, this squad has what it takes to be gennin."

Sarutobi nodded. "Kakashi?"

Kakashi stood up as Kurenai sat down. "My squad is number seven; Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha. Their test was to relieve me of a pair of bells on my person before lunch. After they all hid, Naruto made the first move and attacked. I've noticed that he wasn't taking this seriously so I merely toyed with him, aware that he was merely testing me. After one of his blows missed, I hit him with one of mine, only for him to explode." Several eyebrows rose at this point. "He used the Exploding Clone Jutsu on a shadow clone to create a walking paper bomb. Fortunately, he wasn't attacking the real me at the time." Several chuckles were heard. "Once I reappeared, as if I was unharmed, Sasuke threw a hail of kunai and shuriken at me, only to hit a log instead. Both he and Sakura fled their locations, fearing that they've been spotted. I secretly sent a shadow clone to tail the boys while I went after Sakura. After sneaking up to her, she turned around and defended herself, but I cast a genjutsu before she could react."

"What genjutsu did you use?" Kurenai asked.

"The Nightmare Vision Jutsu." Kurenai and Yuki raised an eyebrow. "After I vanished, she looked around and was about to dispel it had the genjutsu not kicked in, since it delays for a few seconds. What she saw was an injured Naruto, as if he was ambushed and barely escaped, but had fatal wounds. She didn't take this too well and fainted." The men, except for Kakashi, sweat-dropped while the women's eyebrows twitched. "After she fainted, she then turned into steam seconds later. My clone watching Naruto saw him create a clone out of steam and switch it with Sakura. Once she woke up, she seemed very happy at seeing him. Anyway, they soon realized the purpose of the test and went in search of Sasuke. Speaking of Sasuke, he found me and tried to get the bells himself. He did an impressive job, though he only managed to touch the bells. After he used the Fireball Jutsu, I used the Headhunter Jutsu to give him time to fume while I walked off. Seconds later, he, too, turned into steam. He appeared with his teammates and, after they explained to him that they need to work together, he declined, claiming that he doesn't need them. Eventually, Naruto and Sakura gave up and left him to get the bells themselves. Now this is the best part." Everyone paid close attention to the elite jounin. "With only five minutes left, Naruto and Sakura used the White Lotus Dance and the Sakura Dance before a group of naked young women came out and exploded after they got close enough to me." Many eyebrows rose while Yuki covered her mouth to hide her laughter.

Asuma, curious as to what's so funny, asked the vixen, "Is something the matter, Yuki?"

Yuki shook her head. "No, but I know what happened." she chuckled, her voice full of mirth. "It was one of Naruto's anti-pervert techniques: the Bombshell Harem. To put it simply, he creates several exploding shadow clones disguised as beautiful young women. The White Lotus Dance, the Sakura Dance and the Rose Dance are used to enhance the jutsu's effectiveness at luring in their victims."

"Anyway, after that failed, Naruto and Sakura decided to fight me one-on-one. They both put on an impressive display of taijutsu talent. While Naruto is more skilled than Sakura, she's much stronger than he is due to her excellent chakra control. Also, before their blows were to hit me, they used the Flaming Palms technique to enhance them. Everytime I were to block, they would switch with the other so they both got in some action while the other rested. During that time, they were able to surreptitiously pilfer the bells before time ran out. Once the bell rang, I tied up Sasuke and explained the purpose of the test: to work as a team for a common goal. Sakura and Naruto showed that they are capable of doing so, but Sasuke simply refused to." Kakashi sighed. "All three of them show great potential. Naruto's skills in ninjutsu and taijutsu are amazing, as are Sakura's. I also want to test her medical skills to see just how good she is. Sasuke also shows great skill in ninjutsu and taijutsu, but does not show that he understands the concept of teamwork. Therefore, I recommend that Sasuke is removed from the ninja program." Several gasps were heard.

"Kakashi, are you sure about this?" Sarutobi asked him.

"Yes, I am sure." Kakashi replied. "Naruto advised me to give him a second chance, but when Sasuke asked him why, he said that he has potential that he doesn't want to see going to waste due to Sasuke's lone wolf attitude. After a brief argument between them, he and Sakura took off their headbands and left, knowing that they failed and that they'll have to go back to the academy for more training." He then pulled out three headbands. "I also took Sasuke's headband before untying him. This all happened moments before I arrived."

The aged Hokage sighed. "I see... Kakashi, what do you think of Naruto and Sakura? Do they deserve to be gennin despite Sasuke being the reason they failed?"

"They both show that they have what it takes to be excellent shinobi. They have earned their headbands, in my opinion." was Kakashi's response.

Sarutobi nodded. "All right, then. After the meeting is over, give them back their headbands and have them meet me here immediately." Kakashi nodded before pocketing two of the headbands while setting the third one, Sasuke's, on the desk.

"What about the Uchiha?" Yuki asked.

"The council won't like the fact that he failed his gennin test. They'll raise hell over it and may try to blame Naruto for his failure, which would only piss Tsunade off." Hiruzen stated. "She said that if Naruto's squad were to fail, she would pay for a mission to have him sent straight to wherever she is. She knows that Sakura is his teammate and she might pay to have her sent to her as well. Tsunade has taken quite a liking to the girl, but refuses to tell me why."

"If that were to happen, the council would raise more hell over it." Asuma pointed out. "You know they've been looking for the tiniest excuse to get rid of Naruto. If Lady Tsunade were to take him, they might mark him as a rogue ninja."

Kakashi nodded. "I don't want him to leave, as I wanted to train him from the start. The council may want me to let them pass and only train Sasuke, but sensei and my father taught me to never show favoritism to anyone, no matter what."

Hiruzen mulled it over for a few minutes before nodding to himself. "Okay, here's what we'll do. Squad seven shall pass, but is not allowed to go on any missions until they have shown that they can work together. Kakashi, you shall judge them to see if they can work as a team... or more like if Sasuke can work with others. Depending on what happens will decide their fate. If Sasuke cannot work with his teammates, he'll lose his headband and I'll assign a replacement gennin for your squad." Kakashi nodded, accepting these terms. "Make sure you inform Sasuke after this meeting is over. I'll inform Naruto and Sakura before informing the council. If they refuse, then I'll pull Sasuke's headband and have Naruto and Sakura sent to Tsunade's location immediately, wherever that is." With that issue settled, they continued with the meeting.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, Naruto, Sakura and the three vixens were at Ichiraku's, a little depressed at the turn of events. Ayame tried to cheer them up, but it wasn't going well.

After they were finished, Naruto paid for their meals, as well as his own, before they all left the restaurant. Once they made it outside, they saw Ino and Hinata about to enter. "Hey, guys. Is something wrong? Where are your headbands?" Ino asked them, seeing their depressed faces.

Sakura was about to reply when Kakashi appeared in a puff of smoke. "Ah, there you are. The Hokage wishes to see you two at once." he said to his students, then handed them their headbands. "Oh, and you forgot these."

Sakura looked at Naruto, who merely shrugged. They took their headbands, after figuring out which is which, and held onto them. Naruto then wrapped his arm around Sakura's waist before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

The remaining five girls simply blinked before looking at Kakashi. "What was that about?" Tsuki asked.

Kakashi sighed before creating a shadow clone, giving it Sasuke's headband and watched it run off while he motioned for the girls to follow him into the restaurant.

xxxxx

Naruto and Sakura poofed into Sarutobi's office and saw only the Hokage and Yuki occupying it. "You wanted to see us?" Naruto asked.

Sarutobi nodded. "Yes. I'm curious as to why you quit?" he asked, pointing at the headbands in their hands.

Naruto sighed. "Sarutobi, we know that if we don't pass as a group, we'll fail as a group. Sasuke refused to work with us or even help us while we were fighting Kakashi. It's a clear sign that he's not ninja material."

"Personal feelings aside, he's not willing to work with us, even if we are willing to work with him. If he's not going to help us during a simple test, how can we expect him to help us during a mission?" Sakura continued. "They say that a team is as strong as its weakest link. And from our performance during our gennin test, Sasuke is that weak link. We may not like him personally, but we wouldn't let our feelings prevent us from working with him."

Yuki nodded. "You both raise good points. Sadly, the council won't see it that way." she pointed out.

"Which is why we came up with a solution. Squad seven shall be an active gennin squad, but will be under probation until the three of you are capable of working as one without any problems." Sarutobi told them. "Your squad shall not go on any missions until Kakashi is satisfied that you are capable of working as a team. This is something that applies to Sasuke the most, since you two have no problems with teamwork whatsoever. If he does not, he'll be stripped of his headband and your squad shall receive a replacement gennin. However, if the council does not approve and tries to play things in Sasuke's favor, Sasuke will lose his headband and I'll contact Tsunade and inform her that you two shall be going to her location until further notice."

The two teens looked at each other, completely surprised. "Lord Hokage, can you do that?" Sakura asked.

"Yes I can. Despite what many on the council believes, the military might of the village is under my direct command." Hiruzen replied with a smirk. "I've also sent this information to the Feudal Lord and am currently waiting for his reply." As if on cue, a spider monkey appeared on his desk. The monkey handed the scroll it was holding to the Hokage. "Thank you." he said before the monkey vanished.

After opening the scroll and reading its contents, the old Fire Shadow smiled. "The Feudal Lord has approved of my idea and has stated that he'll allow the mission to escort you two to Tsunade if it is needed." he said to them.

"Wait a minute. Knowing the council, if you send us to Tsunade, they might mark us as rogue ninjas." Naruto pointed out, though he wanted to say 'him' and not 'us'.

"We thought of that and have informed the Feudal Lord as well. You'll still be ninjas of the Leaf and the council will be unable to mark you as rogue ninjas if you were to leave on this mission." the Hokage said, much to Naruto's relief.

"So you're going to inform them, and why would they mark us as rogue ninjas?" Sakura asked.

"Uh... I'll tell you later, Sakura." Naruto replied nervously. He didn't want to tell her, but felt that he might have to in order for her to understand. 'I just hope it doesn't blow up in my face.'

Sakura noticed his nervousness and was a bit curious. 'If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was afraid.' she thought, then said, "Okay, Naruto."

Just then, Kakashi appeared in the office. "Lord Hokage, Sasuke Uchiha has been informed." he said.

"And?"

Kakashi sighed. "He wasn't too thrilled with the situation. I believe he might complain to the council."

"Wouldn't be surprised if he did." Naruto mumbled.

"Don't worry. I was just about to handle the council. Care to watch?" The two gennin, jounin and vixen nodded before they followed the Hokage out of his office.

xxxxx

In the council chambers, everyone was present, minus the Hokage, and were wondering why they were summoned. Once the Hokage arrived, along with four others, everyone turned to him and wondered, 'Why is the fox-woman here?'

"Okay. I'm sure you're all curious as to why you've been summoned." Sarutobi said after everyone was seated, with Kakashi, Yuki, Naruto and Sakura standing behind him. "Well, I shall get straight to the point. Out of the twenty-seven students that have graduated this year, only eight of them are fully qualified to be gennin and have passed their respective tests."

Many in the room blinked. "Excuse me, but what business is it of the council's?" Koharu kindly asked. "And did you say eight?"

"Yes, I did say eight. As for what business is it of the council's, it isn't. But I believe some of you might make it your business." Sarutobi replied.

"If that is the case, then enlighten us, Lord Hokage." said Homura with a raised eyebrow.

"As you wish." Sarutobi then informed them, in detail, of the nine different results; purposely saving squad seven's for last.

Once he finished, Hiashi sighed. "I see what you are trying to say. You believe that some of us on the council would protest the fact that Sasuke Uchiha is the reason his squad failed their gennin test."

When the Hokage nodded, a civilian council member stood up and shouted, "That's a lie! There's no way the last Uchiha failed his gennin test!"

"It's true, councilman. I am, after all, the one who administered the test for squad seven. If you don't know, my standards are much higher than most jounin instructors." Kakashi pointed out in a bored tone. Then, his visible eye hardened. "Are you saying that my standards are wrong?"

The councilman began to sweat. "N-No, Kakashi. N-Not at all." he stuttered.

"It must be the de-" another councilman tried to say before a kunai zipped past him, silencing him.

"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you." said the one who threw the kunai. "If you did, then I would have done more than simply graze your cheek." With his hand still outstretched, Naruto glared at the quivering civilian with eyes that screamed, "Reveal my secret, and I'll kill you."

Capitalizing on the opportunity, Danzou stood up and shouted, "ANBU, arrest him!" However, the ANBU did not come.

Lowering his hand, Naruto shook his head. "You forget that the ANBU are under the Hokage's direct command, as are every shinobi of the Leaf." he stated before glaring at Danzou. "And under what grounds am I to be arrested? Speak wisely or that outburst could be interpreted as treason."

As calm as ever, Danzou replied, "Attempted murder."

Many eyebrows shot up. "Attempted murder, you say?" Naruto said, feigning curiosity. "I was merely saving his life from saying something that should not be said to someone who does not know. Had I let him continue, his life would have been forfeit and I would have killed him if the ANBU didn't first."

Hiruzen nodded. "Be seated, Danzou." he ordered. One he was seated, the Hokage continued. "Now then. Sasuke shall be allowed to be a ninja, but because of his unwillingness to work with others, squad seven shall not go on any missions until Kakashi is pleased with their teamwork. If Sasuke refuses to work with others, then he shall lose his headband and another gennin shall replace him on squad seven." There were several shouts of protest from many of the civilians, but Sakura's fist into the wall silenced them. The war veterans cocked an eyebrow when they saw the spider-web cracks on the wall where Sakura punched it.

"I'd be careful if I were you." Sarutobi pressed on before pulling out a scroll. "This scroll came from our Feudal Lord and it says that he has authorized this decision. Now, are there any who oppose this decision?" Several hands shot up, each one being a civilian council member.

"Well, if I were to count those that did not raise their hands as those who are for this order, then you have no choice but to listen." Hiruzen inwardly smirked, seeing the shocked and angry faces of the civilians who disagreed. "My word is both final and nonnegotiable. Continue to argue this and I will remove Sasuke Uchiha from the ninja program immediately." That shut them up. "Dismissed."

xxxxx

Later, Naruto and Sakura sat in her room. She reminded her teammate that he was going to tell her why the council would mark them as rogue ninjas.

"Naruto, why would we be marked as rogue ninjas if we were to leave the village?" she asked.

Naruto looked around her room and sighed. He then pulled out several sealing tags and placed them on the walls and the door. "There we go. Whatever is spoken here shall not leave this room." he said. He then turned to face Sakura and sighed. "Sakura, what I'm about to say must say between us. Understand?" Once she nodded, understanding the seriousness of the situation, Naruto continued. "Sakura, do you know when I was born?"

Sakura blinked, but answered anyway. "Of course I do. October tenth, twelve years ago, going on thirteen."

"Do you know when the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked?" he continued.

Sakura blinked again, but answered out of reflex. "Yes. October tenth, twelve... years... ago." She then looked at Naruto and asked in a confused and somewhat scared voice, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Sakura, we were all told that the Nine-Tailed Fox died that night. The truth is that he was sealed by the Fourth Hokage into the only child born at that time." He then lifted his shirt and channeled some of his chakra, revealing the seal. He realized two days ago that whenever he used his chakra, the seal would appear on his navel. "I was that child, Sakura. I contain the Nine-Tailed Fox within me."

Sakura's eyes widened as her mind put the pieces together. 'So that's why he never leaves his house on his birthday, why the villagers hate him so much and why the council would mark him as a rogue ninja if he were to ever leave.' Tears welled up in her eyes before she wrapped her arms around him, causing them to fall on the floor.

Naruto blushed from their current position. Sakura was on top of him, crying her pretty green eyes out. 'If her mother came in here, she would kill me, console her daughter or tease us mercilessly.' he mused before rubbing the kunoichi's back in an attempt to soothe her.

Feeling her friend rubbing her back, Sakura looked up with a pink blush. "Naruto, how could you live such a life and not snap?" she asked.

Naruto blinked. "You mean, you're okay with this?" he asked.

She smiled. "Naruto, you are not the Nine-Tailed Fox. Ms. Yuki and her daughters may be fox demons, but they are very kind and they love you very much." she replied. "Even if you didn't have the fox sealed inside you, you are still Naruto Uzumaki, my teammate, friend and..." She trailed off as her face turned red.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. He knew those signs. 'Does she... love me?' he asked himself, but put that thought away for later. "Thank you, Sakura. I'm lucky to know someone like you. It's why I was able to be so kind and not hate the village." He directed her gaze to his cerulean eyes. "Kindness, compassion and love are why I am the person I am today. If I hadn't experienced these feelings, I may have turned into a heartless monster who only knows hatred and destruction." He then embraced her, both of them no longer caring about their current position.

Just outside the room, Sayuki watched her daughter be held by her long time friend through a crack in the door. She was able to hear his explanation, despite the seals, and smiled at her daughter's reaction. 'I'm very proud of you, Sakura.' she said to herself. 'Kushina, you son is definitely like his father. The hearts of many women yearn for his very presence and, perhaps, even his love.' She then silently closed the door, giving the two teens their privacy.

xxxxx

Inside his dreams, Naruto sat with his head on Mikoto's shoulder.

"Aunt Mikoto, did I do the right thing?" he asked her. Ever since his eighth birthday, he's been calling Mikoto and Hikari his aunts, much to their delight.

"About Sakura?" she replied with her own question. When he nodded, she smiled. "I believe that telling her about this was a good idea."

"But what if she reacted negatively?" he wondered. He really liked Sakura and he didn't want to lose her as a friend.

"Consider this, sweetie. What if Sakura found out from someone else? What if she was told a twisted version of the truth? Do you think she would want to be your friend if someone told her about Lord Kyuubi, yet twisted it with lies and hatred?" Mikoto explained to him.

Naruto's head dropped. "No." he said in a low, sad whisper.

Mikoto pulled her surrogate nephew closer. "Don't be so sad, Naruto. You telling her the truth was the right thing to do. Her reaction would have told you if she really was a true friend." she told him. "I didn't mean for it to sound cold, but if she was your friend, she would stand by you regardless if you had Lord Kyuubi sealed within you or not." She then pulled him up as she stood. "Come on. You still have some jutsu to master. The sooner you do, the sooner I can teach you this fire jutsu I have in mind for you."

Naruto nodded before they started walking to the training grounds.

xxxxx

A/N: Well then, that takes care of chapter three. If you haven't read the last six chapters, you may not understand this one fully. Anyway, please read and review.

I had originally planned this chapter to feature flashbacks of squads eight and ten's gennin tests as well as their first meeting and some training scenes for each squad. Instead, I came up with this. Because of how this chapter turned out, I'm going to see if I can create a spin-off where Naruto and Sakura are sent to Tsunade's location due to the council opposing the Hokage's decision. I haven't ironed out all the details yet, but if I do decide to do this project, then I'll post it after I'm far enough in this story so certain spoilers aren't revealed too early.

For those who haven't figured it out or were curious, then I'll say it now. Sakura will be in the harem. She won't be added immediately, but she will be sometime before the arc is done. I'm not sure at the moment how she'll be added, but I can come up with a way. Now, before anyone begins to ask, I won't be adding anyone else to the harem. I may add Shion later on, since I plan on doing some of the filler arcs and the movies, but I haven't decided yet. If enough of you agree to it, then I'll post a poll to help me decide.

Speaking of which, I've noticed that many of the reviews I'm getting are short, simple and to the point. I don't really have a problem with this. However, reviews that simply tell me to update soon are some that I do have a problem with. Authors update at their own pace. Asking them to update soon doesn't change that. Personally, I see reviews as a way to help the author improve by congratulating them on certain things they did or pointing out flaws or mistakes such as inconsistencies or spelling certain names or titles wrong. I'm not trying to nitpick, but putting in more than simply 'update soon' helps us authors improve our story-writing skills.

Okay, I'm done with my ranting.

xxxxx

A/N: The following is an extended version of the original chapter six of my first run of this story. Part of this chapter, I mean the beginning, will not be included due to it being the same as the extra chapter featured at the end of the previous chapter. It has been edited to remove the spelling and grammar errors that existed in the original chapter.

**Chapter Name: The Rookie Nine Formed**

A minute later, he finally mentioned one of the Forest Trio's names. "Okay, squad seven. Naruto Uzumaki..." This got the attention of several people.

'Please say Hinata or Ino. Please say Hinata or Ino.' Naruto chanted in his mind.

'Please say Hinata/Ino. Please say Hinata/Ino.' Hinata and Ino chanted in their minds.

'Please don't say Sakura. Please don't say Sakura.' Sakura chanted in their minds.

"...Sakura Haruno..." Iruka announced.

"I'm doomed." Naruto and Sakura both said, their heads falling.

'Naruto...' Hinata thought sadly because she didn't get placed on her boyfriend's squad. They both knew that only one kunoichi can be placed on a squad. They both hated that rule, but there's another rule that Naruto will hate even more.

'Please don't say Sasuke. Please don't say Sasuke.' Naruto chanted in his mind, though he has a feeling that it will be.

'Please say Sasuke. Please say Sasuke.' Sakura chanted in her mind. She's hoping that it is so she can one-up Ino.

"...and Sasuke Uchiha." Iruka announced.

"Hurray!" Sakura cheered. She turned around and faced Ino and held up a peace sign.

**"CHA! That's right!"** Sakura's inner exclaimed while giving herself two thumbs up.

'I'm screwed.' Naruto thought while practicing the delicate art of face planting on the desk before him. The other girls didn't take this well, especially Ino, but she kept her cool... barely. The girls started complaining about why they weren't placed on Sasuke's team and why Sakura was. Naruto, Hinata and Ino, meanwhile, covered their ears again to guard them against the banshee-like yelling.

Iruka stopped that again, much to the trio's relief, before continuing. "Moving on, squad eight. Hinata Hyuuga..." This immediately catches the couple's attention. Hinata's curious as to who her teammates are while Naruto hopes that a certain dog-boy isn't one of them. "...Kiba Inuzuka..." Naruto held back a tick from forming on his head while inwardly growling at Kiba. He, along with everyone else in the class, knows that Kiba has a huge crush on Hinata. He's been asking her out almost as many times as the girls do with Sasuke. That is, if he ever spots her after class alone. This is because she disappears when their class isn't in session and is usually seen with Ino, Naruto and or, since last year, Tenten. Kiba doesn't know about Hinata's relationship with Naruto, nor does he know that they've known each other for years and no one will ever tear them apart and live. Their friends wouldn't allow it, nor would they. "...and Shino Aburame." The trio doesn't know much about Shino, except that he likes bugs and that he's quiet.

Iruka now wraps it up by announcing the final squad. "And lastly, squad ten. Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara and Chouji Akimichi." Naruto smiled once those names were given. He knows that Ino would be well taken care of. Those two know how to treat a lady. He only hopes that Ino doesn't complain about their obvious quirks too much.

"Now, it's time for lunch. Afterwards, meet back here to meet your new instructors." Iruka said to the class before everyone got up and left, save for three close friends.

"Naruto, Ino, Hinata, is there something you need to know?" the scarred chunin asked, guessing that it is as such.

"Iruka-sensei, why didn't you put us together and why did you utilize that stupid rule?" Naruto asked. He knows that Iruka knows what rule he's talking about.

"Because Naruto, you three were requested to be placed on those squads. I wanted to arrange it where you three would be paired together, but the jounins have the final say in this." Iruka admitted. He knew those three are long time friends. He found out two nights ago that Naruto and Hinata are dating, so it would only be fitting to keep them together. "Plus, it's tradition that the best and the worst in class are placed up on the same squad, you know that."

"That's a stupid rule and you know it! None of those squads survived very long and only two of them have EVER made it past gennin!" Naruto retorted rather angrily. He, like everybody else, knows that the Fourth Hokage's squad and the Legendary Sannin were the only squads with the best and worst students that has ever made it past gennin. In fact, they all made it to jounin. But that's where tragedy hits. Kakashi Hatake is all that is left of his squad. His best friend, Obito Uchiha, died during the Third Great Ninja War between the Lands of Fire, Wind and Earth. Out of the three new gennin, only Naruto knows this. Kakashi has told him one day when he stumbled upon him at a certain monument. Naruto's curiosity got to him. Kakashi's other friend, Rin, disappeared when their sensei died twelve years ago. She is presumed dead, but Kakashi still believes that she's still alive. The sannin are a different matter. One of them, Orochimaru, betrayed the village and became an S-class criminal. The remaining two, Jiraiya and Tsunade, are still loyal to the village and come back from time to time.

"I know, but there's nothing I can do. I'm sorry." Iruka said.

"Come on Naruto, let's go to lunch. That might cheer you up." Hinata offered.

"Yeah. And if not, then our presence definitely will." Ino added cheerfully before striking a cute pose and winking at him.

Naruto smiled and nodded to them. They wave goodbye to Iruka before going to lunch, Naruto's arms wrapped around two girls that he cares deeply about.

xxxxx

On their way out, Naruto gets an idea. "Hey girls, why don't we spy on our new teammates?" he whispered to them.

"Why?" Hinata asked him.

"So we can find out more about them. It's obvious that we know little about half of them and a bit about the other half." he explained.

"So we're just gathering intel on our own comrades?" Ino asked, trying to understand the reason for this.

"I guess you could call it that." he replied.

"I'm in!" decided the blonde girl.

"I guess I'm in too." said Hinata.

"Alright, girls. Let's move!"

xxxxx

Sakura Haruno was running around for one reason: looking for Sasuke so they can have lunch together. After a few minutes, she stops and says, "Oh, where are you, Sasuke?" before continuing on her search for the Uchiha.

Unbeknownst to her, three pairs of eyes were watching her antics from the trees. Said eyes rolled before vanishing.

xxxxx

Shino Aburame was sitting on a park bench, eating his lunch while watching an ant colony. If someone were to walk by and look at his food, they would've probably tried to tell him that bugs were getting to his food, or already have. In truth, he was feeding his beetles while he ate his own food, separate from their own.

He sensed that he was being watched, so he sent some of his beetles to investigate. After a minute, they came back and told him who was watching him. He just shrugged and decided to worry about that matter later.

xxxxx

Also sitting on a park bench were Shikamaru Nara and Chouji Akimichi. As always, they're eating lunch together. Sometimes, they're joined by their friend, Naruto, from time to time. During said times, the Nara and the whisker marked boy would sometimes play Shogi or Go while or after eating. So far, Naruto has never beaten Shikamaru in either game, but both boys found it entertaining whenever they do play. The young genius is a little curious as to how good Ino and Hinata are against him in those games. He's known for awhile that both girls know Naruto very well. He's also noticed that they're trying to hide that fact. Why, he doesn't know. He would have questioned Naruto about it, if the lazy boy didn't consider it a drag.

Not too far from the two boys is the aforementioned trio, watching them eating their lunch. The three smiled and left them be. Why should they disturb something so peaceful?

xxxxx

Kiba Inuzuka was looking for Hinata so he can invite her to lunch with him and, hopefully, ask her out. Since the first moment he saw her, he's had a crush on her. To him, she was so hot and has tried many times to ask her out. Each time, she politely refused, saying that she has somewhere to go or something important to do. These were during times he had actually caught her alone, which were very rare. This is because she is usually seen with the blonde heiress, Ino, the mistress of weapons, Tenten, or even the worst in class, Naruto. He doesn't understand why girls as hot as them are hanging around a loser like Naruto. It doesn't make any sense to him. Plus, Naruto has never made a move to ask any of the three girls out, as far as he and everyone else are aware. 'So Hinata's still on the market.' he figured. And now that they're on the same squad, this will make it easier for him to get a chance to date her.

As luck would have it, his canine companion, Akamaru, caught the Hyuuga princess's scent and informed Kiba. The dog-boy catches it too and decides to find her. He then sees her walking towards him, alone and unaware of his presence, at least that's what he thinks. In truth, she knew that he was there. She and her friends were looking for the duo and ended up getting caught by the puppy's nose. She told them that she'll act as a diversion so the other two can spy on them. Naruto didn't like the idea and neither did Ino, but Hinata assured them that it'll be alright.

"Hey Hinata, you wanna have lunch with me and Akamaru?" Kiba said with Akamaru barking to make his presence known to the girl.

"No thanks, Kiba. I'm meeting some friends for lunch right now. Sorry." she replied politely.

'Some friends, huh?' he thought before saying, "Would one of them happen to be Naruto?"

Hinata was surprised by this, but doesn't show it. She decided not to deny it and merely nod her head.

"Why do you hang around him so much?" Kiba asked her. "Is it out of pity?"

Hinata was visibly shocked by the question. If she didn't have her Byakugan active and hidden under a minor genjutsu so the canine duo doesn't see it, she wouldn't be able to see Naruto fuming and being restrained and inched away by Ino. "What? No! I would never do something like that!"

"Then why do you hang out with him?" Kiba asked.

"Because I want to." she replied, avoiding the question.

"Is that so?" Kiba says to her, not believing her words. "Hinata, he's a guy. He's probably attracted to you, like all the other guys in our class. He's no different from them, except that he's a loser."

If Kiba could sense killing intent right now, he would be running for the hills. In the distance, not too far away, Ino was holding down an _extremely_ furious Naruto who's ready to rip the dog-boy a new one.

"Naruto is not a loser and is quite different from the boys that hit on me in class." she replied firmly.

After that statement, Kiba catches on, but just barely. "Hinata, do you _like_ that loser?" he asked.

Kiba's question also hit the ears of the hidden blondes. Ino was willing to unleash Naruto on Kiba if he didn't beat her to him first. Seeing this, Hinata spoke before they did anything rash. "Naruto is _not_ a loser! He's strong, brave and kind to a fault." she said, emphasizing her point.

"And how do you know that? He's always screwing up and you know it. Why don't you lose the squirt and hang out with me?" Kiba stated, unaware that he's angering the girl he's hitting on.

"I'll pass, thank you. And besides, I would know if he'd screwed up or not, which he hasn't. I've known him years longer than you have, Kiba!" Hinata shot back at him before turning on her heel and leaving the shocked boy and puppy.

As he watched her leave, Kiba got a gut feeling that she's in loves with the loser. After all, the way she stood up for him makes it quite obvious. 'If that's true, then why didn't either of them ask the other out?' he thought to himself. He then shook off his shock and decided to do some digging.

xxxxx

He and Akamaru followed Hinata after she left. She ran into Naruto and Ino, who's currently applauding her for her performance and courage.

"Bravo, Hinata. What a way to stand your ground." Naruto said to her.

"Yeah. If you didn't, Kiba would be in the hospital right now, courtesy of two angry foxes." Ino added.

"Well, I had to stop you two from hurting him." Hinata said to them. 'Even if he was being a bit of a jerk.' she added mentally, not wanting her friends to hear it. She then smiled and hugged them both.

The trio begins to walk away to find a good spot for lunch, well aware that Kiba is following them. 'Probably looking for some dirt on us.' was what they thought.

"So what should we do about the mutt?" Ino whispered so Kiba and Akamaru don't hear her.

"I'll handle him." Naruto whispered back before forming a cross hand sign, one that only Hinata recognized.

"What will you do?" his girlfriend asked.

He looked toward Hinata and grinned mischievously. "Show him why you don't mess with the Forest Shinobi. Or in our case, the Forest Trio. Shadow Clone Jutsu."

It's been a little over a minute since he's been tailing them and they haven't done anything yet besides walking. The fact that they haven't even spoken yet is getting to him. Suddenly, he finds himself wrapped in ninja wire. The wire tightens and pulls him to a tree with the help of a kick to the chest from a yellow and violet blur. Once he got his senses back, he spots Ino standing in front of him with a kunai at his neck. He looks to his right, only to find Akamaru in Hinata's arms. He can hear her whispering something along the lines of his master being punished for always hitting on her and insulting her friend in front of her. Akamaru whines, but doesn't do anything, much to Kiba's surprise. He begins to struggle, hoping to get out of the restraints. He then feels a hand tap his shoulder a few times, mainly to get his attention. Looking to his left, he spots Naruto wearing his fox-like grin. This confused Kiba to no end because there are two sets of the trio. One set is currently walking away, Naruto's arms wrapped around the girls' waists and their heads on his shoulders. The other set has just tied him up.

After Hinata placed Akamaru on Kiba's lap, the trio held hands and said in unison, "Justice is served!" Then, as one, they disappear in a puff of smoke. A minute later, Kiba breaks free from the wire, furious at the trio's actions.

xxxxx

The trio met up in the park and shared a nice, peaceful lunch together.

"I can't believe he followed us." said Ino.

"He did, but he got his punishment." Naruto said smirking.

"Hopefully he doesn't try that again. Akamaru is cute and all, but what Kiba did was unprofessional." Hinata stated.

"I know. We were about to knock him out together." Ino pointed out, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"It's a good thing you stopped us with your little speech." said the smiling fox-boy.

Hinata smiled and kissed him on the cheek. They then decide to change the subject.

"So what do you think of Shino?" asked Naruto.

"Well, he's very quiet and doesn't really talk. He could be shy." replied Hinata.

"Or he prefers not to talk unless he has to." said Ino.

"I can go with that. So what about you, Ino?" Naruto asked.

"Well, they're both nice, but they each have their quirks."

"Let me guess, Shikamaru's laziness and Chouji's near endless eating."

"Right on both parts, Naruto. But other than that, they're not that bad at all."

"That's good to hear, Ino. Your turn, Naruto." said Hinata, poking Naruto's arm.

"Obviously, I'm not too concerned about Sasuke. He always seems to be brooding over something. He also seems bored, but not like Shikamaru, who can fall asleep during _any_ situation." he said, chuckling at his comment about his cloud watching friend.

"What about Sakura?" Ino asks.

"Again, the obvious. She's more concerned about Sasuke than anything. She would probably leave me high and dry just to find him. She should know better than to try and impress that stiff with looks alone." he said.

"I know. You have a better shot at him than she does, Ino." Hinata adds.

"Careful, we don't want to encourage her _that_ way. Besides, Sakura might be listening to us." Naruto whispered to Hinata.

She nodded slightly and they continued their lunch in silence, unaware that they are being watched. Not by Sakura, but by their new senseis.

"So that's where they ran off to." said one of the guys, cigarette in hand.

"And they've scouted their own teammates as well." said the kunoichi.

"I'm impressed with Naruto's trap for Kiba. He didn't see it coming." said the man with silver hair.

"I guess we'll have to talk to them both, Kakashi." the kunoichi said, disappointed at her student.

"Those three seem to get along pretty well. Can't wait to see how well they fight together." said the cigarette smoking jounin.

"Well, Asuma, maybe we can set up a test for those three. If Kurenai and the Hokage agrees, of course." said Kakashi, smiling under his mask.

"Well, Kakashi, if Lord Hokage agrees, then I will as well." replied Kurenai.

Then, the three jounin left, leaving the Forest Trio alone.

xxxxx

A/N: That's about as far as I made it in the extended version. At this point, going any further is pointless.

Next Time: The Rookie Nine's ninja lives begins.

Later!


	11. Arc 2 Chapter 4

**The Kitsune and the Neko**

"Talking"  
'Thoughts'  
**Inner/Demon/Deity/Dire Beast  
**_Flashback/Mind Link_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Arc 2: Ninja Life  
Chapter 4: Ninja Life Begins**

It's been six weeks since the three squads became gennin and things have changed accordingly. Asuma has squad ten focus on honing their clan-based skills for the most part. Ino found out, much to her chagrin, that the Hokage's son is very laid back and can be just as lazy as Shikamaru. Because of this, she tracks down Kouen after team practice and missions and trains alongside her, perfecting her jutsu and mastering her fighting styles. Kurenai has squad eight focus on tracking and information gathering in general, since they are a reconnaissance squad. Hinata did her best to ignore Kiba's advances while politely turning him down. She told him several times that she's seeing someone and that she refuses to say who it is. Sadly, the boy can't take a hint. Kakashi has squad seven, though mostly Sasuke, focus solely on teamwork. Since they are an assault squad, teamwork is a must or they won't last very long on a mission. He told them that unless they can work together to his standards, which are higher than most jounin's, then changes will be made. He gave them one month to earn his approval. During that time, he ran them ragged with teamwork drills, three-on-one spars and various lectures. Naruto and Sakura accepted this, but Sasuke was not as willing as he kept demanding to be taught a jutsu. Kakashi said that until they show teamwork, he will not train them in combat. It took Sasuke over three weeks to learn this and to work with his teammates at the bare minimum. Since then, he began their training while tripling the teamwork drills for extra measure.

_"Okay, you three. Today, we'll be learning to control our chakra." Kakashi said to his students. "Before we begin, Sakura, can you explain what chakra is to everyone?"_

_Sakura nodded with a smile. "Chakra is, in fact, our very life force; a combination of our physical and spiritual energies. Physical training and mediations increases these energies, allowing us to have more chakra." she replied._

_"Very good." Kakashi commented. "Now, this exercise uses your chakra to help improve your current control over it as well as train your chakra to increase your reserves. By learning to control your chakra, it makes it easier for you to learn and master jutsu... in theory, anyway."_

_"So what is the exercise?" Naruto wondered._

_"The exercise..." Kakashi purposely paused for dramatic effect. "...is to climb a tree."_

_Naruto and Sakura sweat-dropped while Kouen, Ginko and Tsuki silently snickered._

_"Climb a tree?" Sasuke said with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah right. Anyone can do that."_

_A pair of throats were heard being cleared, which brought Sasuke's attention to a tree branch. Standing upside-down on the branch are Naruto and Sakura, who are currently waving at the Uchiha. "If anyone can climb a tree, then try to climb one without your hands." they both said._

_Kakashi chuckled at Sasuke's dumbfounded and angered expression before drawing the boy's attention to himself. "As your teammates have demonstrated, simply channel chakra into the soles of your feet and use it to cling to the tree. This isn't easy at first, since the soles of your feet are the hardest place to channel chakra to. Also, unless you use enough chakra, you won't stick to the tree. But if you use too much, you'll blow yourself right off. You must learn to use the bare minimum amount of chakra for this exercise. This also applies for jutsu as well." Seeing Sasuke raise an eyebrow, Kakashi elaborated. "Many jutsu, mostly genjutsu, require you to use a certain amount of chakra for it to work properly. Use too little and the jutsu won't work, but use too much and it may backfire, which could hurt you. Learning to use the minimum amount of chakra for jutsu and various chakra exercises helps cut down on the chakra waste when performing said jutsu and exercises. Do you understand, Sasuke?" Sasuke nodded. "Good. Now take out a kunai and pick a nice, tall tree. The kunai is so you can mark your progress. That way, you'll have a point to surpass. Also, a running start is useful when you're learning this. Trust me, you're going to need the momentum."_

_With that, Kakashi took out his book and began reading while he watched Sasuke climb up the tree he has selected. Glancing at his other students, he noticed them doing squats while standing upside down on a tree branch._

After five days, Sasuke was able to run up and down the tree nonstop for fifteen minutes. Kakashi then advised him to try his teammates' exercises, which consists of hanging squats, trunk sit-ups, one-arm branch pull-ups and, the most difficult, branch push-ups. At first, he thought that it would be just as easy as regular squats, sit-ups, pull-ups and push-ups, but quickly found out that it's much tougher. He had to do the exercise while focusing on keeping himself on the tree. With the pull-ups, he was not allowed to grip the tree with his hands, but cling to it with just his palms. He then learned why branch push-ups are the most difficult. Not only did he have to cling to it with his palms, but his toes as well. Also, during the exercise, only his nose is allowed to touch the branch for it to count. Naruto had to always summon three shadow clones for each of them to catch them if they were to fall. Sasuke was told to start with fifty of each every morning as a warm-up, then add fifty whenever the exercises got easy. Naruto explained to him that it's a great way to improve one's physical strength, endurance and chakra control, the latter greatly because one must split their focus and learn to use their chakra as if by second nature to truly do these exercises with little to no problems. Sasuke's currently at one hundred with each while Sakura is at three hundred and Naruto is at five hundred, but they won't tell him that.

xxxxx

We now find squad seven finishing one of the most annoying missions in the village: retrieving the Feudal Lord's wife's pet cat, Tora. The feline continues to run from its overaffectionate owner and a gennin squad is sent to retrieve it. Squad eight seems to get this mission the most due to the cat taking a liking to Hinata. The kunoichi later learned that Tora's a she and, while loves affection, enjoys the freedom of wide, open areas. Neko has been pestering her to keep the cat, but the Hyuuga clan would not allow her to keep her nor did the Feudal Lord's wife want to part with her, much to the two felines' dismay. The woman later came up with a compromise that if she could convince the Hyuuga elders to allow it or if she moved to a place that allows pets, then she'll let the young kunoichi keep her cat. This was about two weeks ago and her clan's elders aren't budging, despite Hanabi wanting to get a cat as well. To Hinata's amusement, Kiba's annoyed with her wanting a cat since he planned on getting her a dog.

Right now, Tora is in the arms of Hanako, who Tora is actually calmer around than Sakura. She's particularly vicious around Sasuke and Naruto, the latter being until Sakura told Hinata and Hinata scolded Tora on attacking her boyfriend. Hanako handed Tora back to her owner then transformed back into Sakura, who mentally frowned at the pleading look the cat gave her. She gave a small, apologetic smile before the woman paid for a successful mission and left the mission room.

Squad seven then turned to face the Hokage and Iruka, who was assigned to help him today. They looked through the mission scrolls as well as marking down another successful mission for the squad. "Kakashi, does your squad want another mission?" Sarutobi asked.

He looked at his students, who all nodded. "Yes we do, Lord Hokage." he responded.

As Iruka searched through the mission scrolls, something caught his eye. "What's this?" he said to himself as he picked up a small scroll addressed to Naruto. He handed it to the boy, who raised an eyebrow. He opened it up and read it.

_Naruto,_

_If you're reading this, then you must have finished another mission. If you were about to do another mission, then I'm sorry I have to do this. I'm going to need to borrow Sasuke for a day or two. There's something I need his help on. I hope you don't mind too much._

_Yuki_

He raised his other eyebrow in confusion after he finished reading the scroll. He then noticed a seal under her name and unsealed a filled out mission request form.

Too curious for his own good, Sasuke snatched the mission scroll out of Naruto's hand, then got it taken from him by Sakura, who bopped him on the head. "Here you go." she said, handing it back to Naruto.

Naruto shook his head. "It's alright. It's actually for Sasuke." he said, which surprised everyone.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked.

"A friend of mine is requesting your assistance with something for a day or two. I'm not sure for what, though." Naruto explained. He then handed the scroll to Sasuke, who proceeded to read it.

"It's a C-rank solo mission, but it doesn't have much on the description." Sasuke said after reading it.

"It's not supposed to, Sasuke." said a familiar voice. Everyone turned and saw Yuki, Kurenai and Hinata.

"What are you three doing here?" Naruto asked the three ladies.

"Well, I came to pick up Sasuke. I am, after all, his client." Yuki replied. "Let's get moving."

With a slightly smug look, Sasuke followed Yuki out the door.

**"You know he's only smug because he's going on a solo mission, right?"** Kouen spoke up after the door closed. Everyone in the room nodded.

Kakashi sighed. "What about you two? What are you doing here?" he asked Hinata and Kurenai, mainly the latter.

"Yuki wanted us to come for some reason." was the red-eyed jounin's reply.

**"Where's the rest of your squad?"** Ginko asked.

"Akamaru's at the vet so Kiba won't be doing any missions today. Shino got sick on our last mission to the Land of Water. Basically, we're both free." Kurenai explained.

"Well, since Sasuke's on a C-rank mission, I think the rest of your squad should go on one as well. Don't you agree, Kakashi?" Sarutobi asked the elite jounin.

"Yes, I do believe they are." Kakashi replied with an eye-smile.

"Kakashi, don't you think you're rushing things a bit?" Iruka asked, feeling a bit concerned. "Your squad may not be ready for a C-rank mission just yet. I mean, it's only been about two weeks since they started doing missions."

"That's because Sasuke refused to work with them. Naruto and Sakura's teamwork and skills make them capable of taking on one of the others rookie squads and remain on even ground no problem." Kakashi isn't one for boasting, though there are times that exceptions can be made. This is one of them.

"I'm being serious here, Kakashi. Don't joke like that." Iruka rebutted. "They haven't shown such skills in the academy. Sure, they are some of the best fighters, but it would still be three against two. They would be at a disadvantage."

**"He wasn't joking, Iruka."** Tsuki intervened. **"You saw firsthand how Naruto defeated a ch****ū****nin unassisted, albeit a weak ch****ū****nin. Just from that display, Naruto was holding back."**

"What?" Iruka was a bit stunned.

"It's true, Iruka-sensei." Naruto spoke up. "The girls and I are under orders not to fight at our best until further notice. Besides, the Ninja Academy's standards have been altered so more civilians would pass. That's why the failure rate on the gennin test is so high."

"I remember when the academy standards were quite rough, but acceptable when you think about it." said Kakashi. "A real shinobi must be able to endure what is thrown at them and have the guts to fight back."

'Master Jiraiya told me the same thing.' Naruto mused.

"He's right, Iruka." Kurenai added. "I, too, remember my time at the academy. It was much harder than it is now. It's a bit sad that the civilian council members claimed that it's too barbaric for the children."

"I don't know why they have a say in shinobi affairs in the first place. They do not know the kind of life we lead." Hinata pointed out, remembering her parents telling her this once.

"I agree, but many won't listen to reason and have gotten greedy and corrupted by the power their positions granted them." Hiruzen explained with a sigh. He then picked up a mission scroll. "I believe we got off subject. You were supposed to be assigned a C-rank mission. Kurenai, Hinata, would you two like to accompany them? Without Sasuke, they may not be able to complete this mission as they are."

"Yes, we would love to, Lord Hokage." both kunoichis said together.

The Hokage nodded. "Send in our guest." he said loud enough for the guards outside to hear him.

A moment later, an old man wearing a straw hat walked in with a bottle of sake in his hand. The man looked at them before saying, "These are the ninjas that are supposed to protect me? They look like a bunch of weak, spoiled brats; especially the blond kid."

Not even a second later, the man saw a white tiger, a raven and a phoenix angrily stalking him from behind the three gennin.

"I'd watch what you say if I were you." he heard the blond boy speak, who had his arms around the two girls, who are each holding a fox, with a third fox perched around his neck. "These lovely ladies don't like it when their friends are insulted. The same goes for me." Both girls blushed at being called lovely.

"Naruto, calm down." Kurenai said to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. The genjutsu Ginko had cast faded as did Naruto's anger.

"Anyway, this is Tazuna, a master bridge builder from the Land of Waves. Your mission is to protect him from bandits and thieves while escorting him back home and until he completes his bridge." the Hokage explained.

"We'll leave in two hours. It's a three-day trip to the country, so pack up for a long trip." Kakashi said before the five ninjas and three vixens vanished in a collective cloud of smoke.

xxxxx

When Sakura got home, she went straight to her room to begin packing.

"Welcome home, Sakura." Sayuki said from behind her.

"Hi, Mom." Sakura replied with a smile. "I'll be going on a C-rank mission in two hours so I need to get ready."

"A C-rank, huh?" Eyebrow raised, the older woman asked, "How long will you be gone?"

"Not sure, but I believe at least two weeks." the younger woman replied.

"Well, when you're finished, summon Hanako and come to the kitchen. I have a recipe I want to teach you before you leave." Sayuki replied before leaving her daughter's room.

xxxxx

When Hinata got home, she summoned two shadow clones and sent them in different directions. She then went to see her father. She knocked on the door to his study and waited to be let in.

"Enter." she heard. She slid the door open and stepped inside.

Hiashi looked up from a scroll he was reading and saw his eldest standing in front of his desk. He made a hand gesture for her to sit on one of the pillows in front of him, in which she obliged. "Did you need something, Hinata?" he asked her.

"I have a mission and will be gone for a few weeks, I believe." Hinata informed.

Hiashi nodded. "I thought your teammates were unavailable." he mentioned.

"They are. Kurenai-sensei and I are accompanying squad seven on their mission since Sasuke is on a solo mission." Hinata explained.

Hiashi raised an eyebrow. "Was it Yuki who requested the solo mission?"

"Yes she was. How did you know?" Hinata replied.

"She requested Neji for something a few days ago. I do not know the details and he was sworn on his honor to never reveal the details of the mission to anyone." Hiashi told her. "The elders attempted to force the information out of him, but I forced them to see it my way. He is my nephew and I promised your mother I would protect this family."

Hinata smiled sadly at the mention of her mother. "She told me the same thing as well as to follow my heart."

"And you're doing a wonderful job. It's a shame the elders don't think so." Hiashi said.

"They've tried to set me up with another noble again, didn't they?" Both Hiashi and Hikari hated it when the elders tried to arrange a marriage for Hinata when she is perfectly happy with Naruto, even though they are unaware of the blond boy courting the heiress.

"Yes. This time, it was the Kazekage's eldest son, but the man declined before the elders could finish." Hiashi said, much to Hinata's relief. "If that is all, I believe you have a mission to get ready for. Oh, and take this with you." He then handed her a scroll with the Hyuuga insignia on it. "Open it only when you are alone. I may trust Naruto with you, but that scroll is for Hyuuga eyes only."

"I understand, Father." Hinata replied before placing the scroll in her vest. She then stood up and bowed before leaving the study.

"Don't forget to say goodbye to Hanabi before you leave." she heard her father's voice as she left to get ready.

xxxxx

When Naruto and the vixens got home, they each summoned a shadow clone and sent them into the kitchen. After Naruto graduated, Yuki taught the four of them the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu. It took them about three hours to summon a clone. To Yuki's surprise, Kouen and Tsuki can summon up to twenty, Ginko can summon up to fifty and Naruto can summon hundreds easily. She explained every aspect of the jutsu to them and why it was a B-rank forbidden jutsu. Tangible replicas with the ability to use chakra and jutsu. Their experience and fatigue are transferred back to their owner once dispelled, making it a great scouting tool and training aid, the latter more so for Naruto. Since then, they've been making twenty clones to increase their chakra control to new heights. Not an easy task, but worth it.

After five minutes, the four of them were packed and ready for the mission. They headed downstairs and went straight to the kitchen. They smiled when they saw their clones preparing their meals for this. They then turned to the pantry door and Tsuki turned a small knob under the doorknob. A click was heard and they saw part of the wall slide to the side, revealing a hidden staircase. They went down the steps and into their home's hidden cellar. The four of them were told about this secret room the day after learning the truth about Naruto and Kyuubi. Yuki told them that no one must enter this room but them. There are no exceptions.

Once they reached the bottom of the flight, Kouen snapped her fingers, lighting the torches that are scattered about. The room was larger than their house and was broken into three sections. The first area is the library. It contained several bookshelves full of different books and scrolls. This is where Yuki stored their study material. She used a special seal to turn one of the blank books or scrolls into an exact copy of the book or scroll. Once they were finished, they then use another special seal to make it blank again. The blank books and scrolls also contains seals so only they can read them.

The second area is the dojo. The dojo actually takes up most of the space, containing a large sparring area with several targets for various ranged weapons, a pool for them to either swim or practice in and a storage area full of various equipment, training weapons, training dummies and mobile targets. Unlike other dojos, this one is reinforced with various seals and barriers so there is no collateral damage. There's plenty of space for them to let loose and go all out. Since they've only known about it for six weeks, they were excited to learn about the pool. Every Sunday, which is their day off, they come down here to relax in the pool. Thanks to their harsh training regimen, Tsuki is able to dance while walking on the water's surface and always drags Naruto onto the pool to dance with her. The pool also has a sprinkler system above them that simulates rain, much to her delight.

The third area is their study. It contains five desks and bookshelves just for them so they can come down here and read in peace. It also contains an artificial hot spring bath so they can relax after a hard day of training. They don't even care about the fact that only towels separate them from being nude. Due to Naruto living in a house full of beautiful vixens, he has grown an immunity to seduction tactics. Only certain women could seduce him and that's only because he lets them.

To keep the room hidden, seals were put up everywhere to prevent chakra, youki and sound from escaping and even special seals so those with enhanced sight can't find it. This is especially useful due to the Byakugan being in the village. They can also use the Teleportation Jutsu to appear in this hidden room if there was a guest over.

Going over to the study, the four teens went straight to their desks and pulled out a few blank books and or scrolls. They then headed over to the library and grabbed several bookmarks before picking out a few books and or scrolls each, marking their places with the bookmarks. After copying them onto the blank ones, they put them back, grabbed one of the cloth bags and placed their reading and study material into the bags before heading back upstairs. Ginko waved her hand and put out the torches before they left.

After sealing the bags in their personal storage scrolls, they helped their clones in the kitchen after hiding the cellar's existence once again.

xxxxx

Almost two hours later, Naruto, Sakura, Hinata and the vixens, in their true forms, met at the village gates. They were a few minutes early so they can relax while they wait for the two jounin and their client to show up.

While they waited, Sakura pulled Hinata and Ginko aside while Kouen and Tsuki relaxed in Naruto's arms. "What is it, Sakura?" Hinata asked while holding Ginko in her arms.

Gazing at Naruto for a moment, Sakura whispered something into her two friends' ears. Their eyes promptly widened. "Can I?" she asked.

Ginko and Hinata looked at each other and smiled. "Sure. Tell him we're okay with it." Hinata replied.

Sakura's smile grew as she hugged them. "Thank you, you two."

**"No problem. We want our friends to be happy."** Ginko said to her.

They then made their way over to Naruto and sat on either side of him. Naruto noticed this and pulled both girls close while Ginko joined her sisters on his lap.

Several minutes later, Kakashi, Kurenai and Tazuna arrived and saw the six of them in their current state. Their thoughts went like this.

'That's so romantic.' Kurenai giggled to herself. She always loved the mushy stuff and enjoyed hearing about Hinata's dates with Naruto. Now, if only she had a camera on her at the moment...

'I wonder if she told him yet.' Kakashi asked himself. He noticed how his kunoichi student tends to steal glances at her long time friend and teammate. Seeing it brought a sense of nostalgia to him, reminding him of a certain kunoichi in his life.

'I hope they can handle this.' Tazuna thought to himself. He didn't want to have kids guard him on this mission, but he was assured by the Hokage that they are very capable despite their age.

Kakashi cleared his throat, which brought a series of blushes to the three teens, much to his and Kurenai's amusement. "Unless you wanted some alone time, we have a mission to complete." he said mirthfully.

The three gennin stood up and backed away from each other, their blushes worsening. The vixens giggled before they decided to snap their friends out of their embarrassment. Kouen hopped into Sakura's arms, Ginko hopped into Naruto's arms and Tsuki hopped into Hinata's arms. Once they were comfortable, they licked their cheeks, gaining their attention.

Seconds later, the group of nine left the village.

xxxxx

Three hours down the road and nothing really eventful happened. Sakura played with Kouen while talking to Tazuna and Kakashi about the different countries, the five kages and why the Land of Waves didn't have a hidden village, the latter because she hasn't been there on her summer tour of the Elemental Nations. Hinata, Naruto, Kurenai, Ginko and Tsuki, meanwhile, were conversing amongst themselves about various exercises, novels, dishes and comparing different types of genjutsu. Despite Naruto's chakra control being at mid to high chūnin level and his chakra levels bordering kage level, genjutsu was never his strong suit. He always had a difficult time learning them, especially the low level ones. But for some reason, the higher level ones were easier for him, though still very hard for him to learn and master. He only knows six genjutsu, though one technically isn't a genjutsu and another he hasn't mastered yet.

Out of nowhere, the ninjas noticed a puddle in the middle of the road and they all had the same thought, 'Genjutsu.' Naruto, the kunoichis and the vixens were all quite annoyed at such a pitiful use of the illusionary arts. You would be too if you respected the art like they did.

After they've passed it, two figures came up out of it and wrapped a wicked chain around Kurenai, who was bringing up the rear with Naruto, Hinata, Ginko and Tsuki. The two assailants tightened the chain while one of them said, "One down." The chain then cut the jounin to ribbons, much to their surprise. However, she turned into flower pedals upon her death.

Reacting quickly, Ginko and Tsuki leaped high into the air while Naruto and Hinata thrusted their open palms into the assassins' chests. A shuriken came from Sakura, pinning the chain that connecting to two rogues to a tree. She then threw a kunai, hitting the hole in the shuriken, securing it firmly to the tree.

The two shinobi didn't like this. They severed their connection to the chain and attacked different targets. One went after Naruto and Hinata while the other went after the group.

Naruto and Hinata stood shoulder to shoulder, each taking a defensive fighting stance. During this particular moment, they both looked up and smiled as the two vixens descended upon the assassin. They twirled their bodies as they erupted in cyan flames. After slamming into the assailant, the two gennin attacked him with a palm strike, hitting both shoulders. A second, chakra-enhanced, palm strike followed their first, striking the chest and knocking the enemy out cold.

Meanwhile, the second one headed straight for his quarry, only to find a smirking pink-haired kunoichi in his way. The last thing he saw was cherry blossom pedals before his world was swallowed up by darkness.

Sakura was not in a good mood, having her conversation disturbed, and decided to end this quickly. She used her favorite genjutsu, the Sakura Dance, before punching the guy in his stomach, knocking him out. Then, Kurenai appeared behind her, a smile on her face. "Having fun?" she asked the younger kunoichi.

"Not really." Sakura replied, still holding Kouen in her arms.

"I guess I'll go interrogate these two while you get some answers." Kakashi said to Kurenai before picking up the one Sakura knocked out. "Naruto, you mind giving me a hand?" Naruto nodded before picking up the other one. Then, the gennin and jounin left the immediate area to interrogate the assassins.

"Tazuna, do you mind telling us what is going on?" Kurenai asked the man. "If I recall, there was nothing in the mission details about ninjas attacking you."

Tazuna began to sweat, then sighed. "Fine. I'll tell you once those two come back." he replied while pointing in the direction that Kakashi and Naruto left in.

About five minutes later, the two shinobi returned to the group. "This mission has gotten more complicated." Kakashi said to them.

"What did you two find out?" Sakura asked.

"Well, the assassins are known as the Demon Brothers; rogue chūnin from the Village Hidden in the Mist. Their target was Tazuna." Naruto replied. He then faced the client and asked, "What is this all about? Why would someone place a hit on an old bridge builder?"

Tazuna sighed again. "Does the name Gato ring any bells?"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Gato, the shipping mogul?"

"I've heard of him." Naruto commented, pointing his finger at nothing in particular. "They say he's one of the few people in the world who is extremely rich."

"Well, on the surface, he runs a shipping company. But underneath, he is a crime boss who smuggles drugs, weapons, valuables and slaves and sells them on the black market. He came to the Land of Waves some time ago and monopolized our only means of business." Tazuna explained. "You see, the Land of Waves is a small country consisting of a chain of islands. We are not large enough to have our own hidden village and the only means we have to ship supplies is by boat. Gato bought up all of the docks and confiscated our ships, many of them being fishing boats. The ones he couldn't get were mysteriously destroyed." The shinobi scowled. "That's where my bridge comes in. It would connect my country to the mainland, allowing us to ship our supplies without having to cross the sea." Tazuna then sighed. "However, Gato fears the bridge. Once completed, he would lose his stranglehold on my country. That's why he sent those assassins after me. If I were to die, the hope of my people will die with me. I'm sorry I lied to you. Because of Gato, our country is very poor from him taxing us out of everything we have. Even our Feudal Lord is poor. The best we could do is pay for a C-rank mission. I didn't want kids to get involved in this, but I guess I had no other choice. Please forgive me."

Kakashi sighed. "Well, in this situation, we would need to request for backup due to the threat of rogue ninjas. But because you lied to us, we are obligated to return to the village and cancel this mission." he said. "However, if I did that, Naruto would never let me hear the end of it."

"Got that right." Naruto piped in. "I've been to the Land of Waves before and hearing what's going on is not something I want to let continue."

"As such, we'll let the ladies decide." Kakashi then turned to the women, who all nodded. "It's decided, then. We'll continue the mission, but we'll need to inform the Hokage anyway. Plus, we'll need to pick up the bounty on the Demon Brothers' heads."

Tazuna smiled. "Thank you."

xxxxx

Elsewhere, a short man wearing an expensive suit and sunglasses walked into a room, occupied by an unknown figure. "The Demon Brothers failed to kill Tazuna. What do you intend to do now?" the businessman growled at the figure.

"They failed, did they?" the figure spoke in a gruff voice. "I wonder how that could be. Those two are some of the best assassins."

"If that's so, then how come they lost to a group of kids and a few foxes?" the businessman raged.

This seemed to have gotten the figure's full attention. "Is that so?" he said more to himself. "Care to describe them to me?"

"What does it matter? I hired you to kill Tazuna and you failed!" the businessman yelled, but was quickly silence when a huge blade was inches from his face.

"You worry too much, Gato. The Demon Brothers may have failed, but I assure you that I won't. This time, I'll take care of the hit myself." the figure said to the man known as Gato.

Gato inched away from the massive six-foot blade before saying, "I expect you to take care of Tazuna or you won't get paid." With that said, he exited the room.

The figure put the weapon on his shoulder and fell deep into thought. 'A group of kids and a few foxes...' he repeated. 'Looks like fate is smiling down upon me. If it's who I think it is, my troubles will finally be over.'

xxxxx

A/N: ...and the plot thickens. What will happen in the next chapter? Until then, please read and review. By the way, I've finally found a fire-eater. She's very nice and loves to eat the flames that I get. Not to mention she's single and really hot!

Changes from before: Compared to when I was at this point in the original story, I've changed many things. Before squad seven went on the Wave mission, several things took place. The first being that Kakashi and Naruto spent an entire week privately training Sasuke and Sakura respectively in nothing but teamwork. Sakura's training with Naruto was somewhat highlighted while Sasuke's training with Kakashi was kept secret. I also had Hinata appear to be jealous that her boyfriend spent a week alone with another girl. The next was that Naruto introduced his friends to the Kitsune Five, who later bonded with the Forest Shinobi. Finally, the rookie squads fought their instructors in a series of three-on-one exhibition matches.

This time around, none of that happened. Also, I skipped the Wave mission, not feeling like typing the mission over the course of several chapters, but was able to summarize it in Naruto's point of view to Hinata. This time, I'm doing the entire mission, have replaced Sasuke with Hinata and added Kurenai and the vixens to the mix. This will change the mission, especially since Naruto has been to the island country once before.

Response Corner:

Fester0662: Yes, Naruto has a harem. Ginko and Hinata are in love with him and I haven't fully revealed Sakura's feelings for him. Also, Ino won't be in it, but Neko is. It'll just take some time for her to officially be in it.

notgonnasay09: Actually, everyone isn't looking down on Sasuke, but more people are not falling for his whole 'my brother killed my family and I need power to kill him' crap. Also, I can understand your views on relationships. Like I mentioned in an earlier chapter, I never intended on this being a harem story, but it just came out that way. To be honest, harems are much harder to write and keep believable.

Also, thank you Primus2021 on the info in your review about the Sanbi and Hachibi. Now if only I can get information on the four to seven-tailed beasts that are used. Mine still has a lot of holes in it.

Next Time: As the group head to the Land of Waves, who is this that will appear? If he a friend... or a foe?

Later!


	12. Arc 2 Chapter 5

**The Kitsune and the Neko**

"Talking"  
'Thoughts'  
**Inner/Demon/Deity/Dire Beast  
**_Flashback/Mind Link_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N: Merry Chistmas everyone! Sorry for the late chapter. I had intended on updating last Sunday as well as today, but I missed Sunday due to life keeping me busy. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed your presents. My present is that I've updated all my stories for you. Sadly, you won't see any new chapters until the new year. This gives me time to write and prepare them for posting. Anyway, Happy Holidays!

**Arc 2: Ninja Life  
Chapter 5: A Fox in the Mist**

Night fell onto the group while they were setting up camp. It's a three-day trip from the Village Hidden in the Leaves to Tazuna's home country. After setting up camp, Naruto, Sakura and Hinata walked into the forest to gather firewood, food and water. They came back after twenty minutes with their chores done. Naruto, being the better hunter, was sent to gather food while Sakura went to fetch some firewood and Hinata filled up a few scrolls with water from a nearby river. The food Naruto gathered were some wild berries, some wild fruit and several fish from the river. He also gathered some herbs to spice up the fish.

After the meal, which was cooked by Kurenai and the gennin, Tazuna went inside his tent to rest while the rest of them sat around the campfire. Naruto and Hinata summoned a few clones each and had them patrol the area.

"Naruto, did you get their equipment?" Kakashi asked his student.

Naruto nodded while tapping his vest, where a few scrolls resided in the inside pockets. Kakashi ordered Naruto to confiscate the Demon Brothers' gear so they couldn't escape if they were to wake up. He sealed them in a scroll and hidden them in his vest so no one would take them.

"Good. Who knows, they might become useful someday." the elite jounin said to him.

"You know what? You might be right." Naruto replied with a smile, his mind wandering to a certain bun-haired kunoichi.

"Oh! My mom and I baked these for the mission." Sakura said, remembering her time with Sayuki earlier today. She reached into her pouch and pulled out a scroll. She then unsealed eight small boxes. "They contain Mom's special ration bars. It's her own recipe that she taught me today. They're very good, healthy and perfect for eating on the go." She sounded like she was promoting them. "There's enough for each of us to have a few for every meal for a few days."

"I also brought ration bars for each of us." Hinata added while pulling out a scroll from her vest and unsealing eight wrapped bundles of ration bars. "They're my mother's recipe that I learned form her cookbook."

"We also brought some ration bars for the group." Naruto said while he pulled out a scroll from his vest and unsealed two bento boxes. The vixens transformed and unsealed two bento boxes each. "Ms. Yuki taught us the recipe for her kitsune ration bars."

After the ration bars were divvied up and put away, the group of eight formulated a plan of action, which included the overnight guard duty. After ten minutes, they all went into their tents, except for Naruto, who was elected to take the first watch. As Naruto looked around, he gazed at the camp site. There were only four tents set up. Tazuna had his own tent because he was a civilian. Kakashi and Kurenai also had their own tents. This is because the two didn't want to share a tent. Kakashi suggested earlier that the boys should share a tent while the girls shared another tent, but Ginko pointed out that her boyfriend cannot sleep alone due to the mental damage the chronic nightmares caused him. Even after seven years, he still suffers from those horrible dreams. However, he only has them if he ever sleeps alone, something which is extremely rare. Because of this, the gennin and the vixens shared a fourth tent because he's more comfortable around women than he is around men. Also, he has never slept with Kurenai before and doing so now would be both awkward and inappropriate. He shook the thoughts out of his head before creating some clones to patrol the area.

Inside the girls' tent, Kouen and Tsuki curled up next to each other and went to sleep. They were on the latter guard shifts, Kouen with Sakura and Tsuki with Kurenai, because they can use their shadow clones and guard the whole area. Ginko wanted to go with Naruto, but Hinata and Sakura talked her out of it. She was, instead, paired with Kakashi. The reason was because both Naruto and Hinata can make hundreds of clones without a problem. What they don't know is their limit. So they are restricted to two hundreds clones until that limit is found.

As for Sakura, Hinata and Ginko... well, they had some talking to do.

"Are you sure it's okay?" Sakura asked.

"We told you earlier, we're okay with it." Ginko replied. "If you can get Naruto to agree, then it's a done deal. Just remember that if he says yes, tell him we're fully behind his decision."

Hinata nodded in agreement. "Sakura, how long have you liked him?" she asked.

"Since we first met six years ago. A few older girls were picking on me and he got me away from them." Sakura lightly blushed at the memory. "He was the reason I wanted to become a kunoichi. I'm proud that I've done so much and have become so strong."

"We all are, Sakura." Hinata said with a warm smile. "It's one of the reasons why we love him so much."

Ginko nodded while Sakura blushed brighter, but couldn't disagree with the Hyuuga heiress. She hasn't told anybody this before, but she's had a crush on Naruto for years. These feelings continued to grow, only to be solidified by five different incidents. The first was their first encounter, which started her crush on him. The second was when they first slept together with Ino four summers ago. The third was the Christmas party two years ago, something she will never forget, especially the feeling she felt when they kissed. The fourth was when they were placed on the same squad. The fifth, and most recent, was when he told her about the Nine-Tailed Fox six weeks ago. These five events have only strengthened her feelings for him. She isn't sure if it's love yet or what, but she cares for him and wants to stay by his side.

Seeing her friend deep in thought, Ginko asked, "Something on your mind?"

Sakura blinked, and then shook her head with a smile. "More like someone."

Hinata and Ginko giggled. "Well, there's still one more thing we have to tell you." Hinata said to the pinkette. "This is something no one must ever discover."

"Yes, I understand the need for secrecy." Sakura replied, looking down at her body and remembering that it was Naruto's doing that she looks this good.

xxxxx

The next day was uneventful, to say the least. They were relaxed before, they weren't now. Everyone surrounded Tazuna, making sure they make it there safely. Kakashi and Kurenai covered the rear while Naruto, Sakura and Hinata took turns guarding the front and sides. Kouen resided in Sakura's arms as the kunoichi petted the vixen into a blissful state. Ginko was curled up on Naruto's shoulders, her tail wrapped around his neck, as he scratched behind her ears every now and then. Tsuki sat in Hinata's arms as she kept herself warm and cozy while in the soft embrace. The gennin and the vixens all had their senses on high alert.

In the back, Kakashi and Kurenai smiled as they watched their students while conversing with Tazuna. As relaxed as the six of them looked, they were still ready to react at a moment's notice. Last night, as they talked around the campfire, they figured that they might get attacked by a jounin next since the Demon Brothers failed. They may be able to handle it themselves, but if the gennin get involved, even with the vixens' help, they aren't able to defeat a jounin just yet. A few chūnin maybe, but not a jounin.

Kakashi then thought back to last night. He had a talk with Naruto and learned that he's been to the Land of Waves before. It was two summers ago when he was there with Tsunade and the vixens. He also said that that was when Tsuki met someone who became her boyfriend, but she, sadly, hasn't seen him since. Naruto never told him about the boy and when asked, he refused to speak about it. He eventually dropped it and moved on. However, something about all this seems to have affected Naruto. He doesn't know what or why, but he knows it's something.

xxxxx

The third day was when they made it to the country. All they had to do was cross the water and they'll be there. Right now, everyone is on a boat heading to the other shore. Since there wasn't enough room on the boat for them all, Hinata and Sakura played a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors to see who gets to sit on Naruto's lap. Sakura's rock beat Hinata's scissors, thus she won the right to sit on his lap, much to her secret enjoyment. This caused four different reactions. Tazuna and the boat operator chuckled to themselves. Hinata looked a little upset, but was okay with it outwardly. Inwardly, she was smiling, hoping Sakura would tell him soon. The two jounin were highly amused and Kakashi would have shown it had the situation been different. The vixens, who are on Kurenai's lap, were just as amused as the adults.

As they were crossing, they weren't using the boat's motor so they can stay hidden, since they must sneak in unnoticed. This is when everyone got to see the silhouette of the bridge that Tazuna is building. Everyone was in awe at the sheer size of the bridge. 'No wonder he calls himself a _master_ bridge builder.' was their general collective thought. After reaching the other shore, they bid farewell to the boat operator before he sailed off.

After walking a short distance onto dry land, they all spotted the familiar faces of a Naruto and Hinata clone. Before they got on the boat, Kurenai advised sending a few scouts ahead of them to search the area, making sure that it's safe. Naruto and Hinata volunteered, summoning and sending a single shadow clone each to scout the area. After dispelling them and receiving the information, Hinata gives them the okay after holding up two fingers. Tazuna was the only one who didn't understand her discreet message. The couple also secretly noted how their clones got over to the other shore. Once they were out of sight, they both used the Hidden Camouflage Jutsu to become invisible. Afterwhich, Naruto's clone picked her up and activated his bloodline.

After walking some more, Naruto sensed something he didn't like. As fast as lightning, he threw a kunai from his holster, hitting a tree. This caused the group to stop and most to wonder about Naruto's actions. Sakura went over to investigate. She came back, after getting his kunai, while calming down a startled white-furred hare. Hinata quickly joined her and helped calm the hare down while both kunoichi wondered, along with Naruto, the jounin and the vixens, 'Why is a snow hare here of all places and has a white coat during spring? Its coat should be brown during the warmer months and it's not even native to this country!' After a few seconds, one thought crossed their minds. 'It was used as a replacement. It's a decoy!'

As one, Kakashi, Kurenai and Naruto, who were still by Tazuna, heard a strange sound and quickly shouted, "GET DOWN!" Sakura, Hinata and Kurenai ducked while Tazuna was pulled down by Kakashi. Naruto, on the other hand, turned and lifted his right foot, kicking a huge sword that flew by into the air. He then held up his hand and caught it with ease. A few seconds later, a man appeared standing on the branch of a nearby tree. The man was tall, maybe even taller than Kakashi. He had on no shirt, which showed off a very muscular build. Camo pants and armwarmers with wrapped shins and a face mask made out of wrappings was what he had on, including a strap for the giant blade currently in Naruto's hands. His hair seems to defy gravity, like Kakashi's, with his headband tilted to the side, showing the crest for the Hidden Mist Village. It also has a slash mark on it, meaning that he's a rogue ninja.

"Impressive, kid. To be able to stop my blade with a single kick... You must be very strong to have defeated the Demon Brothers." the man chuckled.

Naruto hefted the sword onto his shoulder and made it look easy. "You could say that." he replied, but his inner thoughts were different. 'What the hell was I thinking, kicking this damn sword out of the air like that? My Kami, that hurt like a bitch!' He was doing all he can to suppress the pain in his right foot and the urge to scream ouch.

The man chuckled again, obviously seeing something amusing. "I never knew you were so bold to kick my sword, child. Either you have grown a bigger pair than you already have or had a death wish of some sort."

'Good question. I'm not sure which it is.' Naruto mentally responded, which caused Kyuubi to laugh in amusement.

"But where are my manners? The name's Zabuza Momochi. It's an honor to be in the presence of Kakashi Hatake, Kurenai Yuuhi and Naruto Uzumaki." the man, now known as Zabuza, said to the group.

Only Naruto and the vixens were not somewhat confused. "Let me guess... you're working for Gato, aren't you?" Kakashi asked Zabuza.

Zabuza gazed at the masked jounin in boredom. "If you're referring to me being hired to kill the old man, then yes. So why not be good little ninjas and hand him over? I'll spare your lives, as I see no reason to spill your blood at the moment."

"Not a chance." Kurenai replied as she and the others surrounded Tazuna protectively.

Zabuza sighed. "Damn... I was hoping to avoid this." He then snapped his fingers and the zanbatō in Naruto's hands vanished and reappeared in Zabuza's. "Looks like I get to have some fun today."

As he hopped out of the tree, Naruto and Kakashi stepped forward. "Looks like we have a fight on our hands. Kouen, let's go." Naruto said before Kouen leaped onto his shoulder while Ginko hopped in Sakura's arms.

Kakashi glanced at Naruto before focusing on Zabuza. "Protect Tazuna. We got this." he said before putting his left hand on his headband while fishing out a small scroll.

"Looks like I'll have to use these then." Kakashi said before lifting his headband, uncovering his left eye, and then unsealing what's inside the scroll. Only Zabuza can see the white vertical scar over it before it opened to reveal...

"Ah, the infamous Sharingan. I'm honored to actually get the chance to see it. And I see you're also bringing out your sword: the Shiroi Kiba." the ex-mist jounin said as he stared at the ninjatō in Kakashi's hands. Outside of looking like a typical ninjatō, the blade is pure white and has markings that make it look like a fang. It also has grey fur over the guard, hiding it from view. Zabuza then placed his zanbatō on his back before making a hand sign. To everyone watching, it looked like two 'han-hitsugi' signs, his right above his forehead while his left in front of his chest. "Let us begin, Sharingan Kakashi! Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"

Suddenly, the area was covered in a thick fog. Everyone had a tough time seeing their hands in front of their faces, so some of them relied on a trick they had up their sleeve.

Naruto, Sakura and the vixens used their heightened sense of smell to try and locate Zabuza through his scent, but got nothing but the scent of mist and seawater. Since that didn't work, they used their sensitive hearing instead. They managed to pick up Zabuza's position, but just barely. 'Apparently, he knows how to move without making a sound.' they mused. The only reason Sakura was able to do this was because of the special training Naruto gave her for the past six weeks. He's been helping her enhance her senses to his level without the help of the Kitsune Form Jutsu, since it naturally heightens the user's senses. She's not as good as he is, or an Inuzuka for that matter, but she can pick things up within a relatively close vicinity of her.

Hinata, instead of using her own enhanced senses, thanks to the special training under Neko, formed a hand sign before muttering, "Byakugan." Her eyes changed from their soft pale lavender to a harsh white with veins appearing on the sides of her eyes. Despite the amount of chakra in the air, she searched and pinpointed Zabuza's position and quietly told Kurenai.

All of this took place in a span of several seconds.

After the six youths found the rogue jounin, everyone heard him speak. "There are eight targets on the human body; spinal cord, lungs, liver, clavicle artery, jugular vein, kidneys, brain and heart. Now which vital, vulnerable spot should I choose? Hehehe." His voice came from everywhere and it echoed in an eerie, almost demonic, manner that made the gennin very nervous, except for Kouen and Naruto.

"Listen up everyone!" Kakashi called out to the group, knowing it'll get their attention from the killing intent that Zabuza's producing. "Calm down. If you let him psyche you out, it'll be a one-way trip to the afterlife. Remember, it's two jounin against one. He's outnumbered and outmatched against our forces. And besides..." He pauses, knowing it'll even get Zabuza's attention. "The three of us won't let any of you die. I can promise you that much." Naruto and Kouen smiled and nodded in agreement. This seemed to calm the others down.

"Brave words coming from a dead man." Zabuza's voice echoed from everywhere before he appeared to Kakashi's left.

As quick as a flash, Kouen transformed, unsheathed Masamune and sliced Zabuza in half at the waist. However, instead of blood, Zabuza started to leak water before he collapsed into a puddle of water. "A water clone?" she said to herself. She noticed that Tazuna was shocked at seeing her take a human form, but she chose to ignore it.

Zabuza's chuckle echoed throughout the forest. "I'm impressed, Kouen. Your speed has definitely improved if you're able to cut down one of my water clones with ease." he commented, his voice full of mirth. "What about you, Naruto? Have you improved as well or have you been slacking off all this time?"

The two jounin turned to Naruto and asked the one question that's on their minds. "Do you know Zabuza, Naruto?"

Naruto sighed, but didn't get a chance to answer. "Of course he knows me. Apparently, he never told any of you of his time here in the Land of Waves." Zabuza spoke up. "A pity, really. Oh well."

Naruto's left hand fell to the scroll as he channeled some chakra into his gloves, causing Fuukiri to appear in his hand. Slipping the sheath between his pants and belt, Naruto unsheathed the katana and held it in a stance only Kouen recognized, since they are kenjutsu sparring partners. "Let's do this, Fuukiri!" he said to the sword, which started to hum as wind chakra was channeled into the blade.

Zabuza reappeared, this time behind the blond gennin, only to find himself cut in half by the boy. "Another water clone, Zabuza? What gives?" Naruto asked the hidden assassin.

"That's my secret, boy." Naruto narrowed his eyes due to the comment. He never did like people looking down upon him or believing him to be inferior to them. A pet peeve of his just happens to be his mother's fiery temper, which is said to be able to scare even the Snake Sannin himself.

Resisting the urge to summon Suibi, Naruto shifted his stance a bit. He then slashed the air, sending an arc of chakra at Zabuza, who just made his appearance behind Tazuna. The chakra blade missed the group and cut the zanbatō in half, which turned into water. Sakura then punched the water clone, dispelling it. "That's my Sword Wave. Even if you're hidden, I can still hit you." Naruto proclaimed before slashing the air again, sending another Sword Wave, this time, into the trees. A clang was heard before a rustle was heard, which prompted Kakashi to take action. He vanished and the sound of swords clashing filled the area.

Several moments later, Zabuza was kicked into the clearing, only to meet the business end of both Fuukiri and Masamune as a pair of Sword Waves erupted from them. Zabuza turned into water, just like all the others before him. "Okay, this is getting old." Kouen said, getting tired of fighting water clones.

"Says you." Zabuza's voice echoed the area before he appeared behind Kouen, ready to slash her in two. Instead, Kakashi cut straight through him with Shiroi Kiba, but Zabuza turned out to be another water clone. Another Zabuza appeared and cut down Kakashi before he was cut down by Naruto, who was cut down by another Zabuza, who was then struck down by an arrow from Hinata, who's currently holding a bow in her hands and a quiver of arrows over her shoulder. Kakashi and the Zabuzas all turned into water while Naruto turned into steam.

"Now that was interesting! Not only were you able to copy my Water Clone Jutsu, Kakashi, but you, Naruto, was able to use the Replacement Jutsu with the mist. I'm impressed." Zabuza commented from his hiding spot.

"We aim to please." Naruto replied with a smile as he appeared behind Kouen. He knew that Zabuza doesn't know about his chakra bloodline so he can use this to his advantage. He secretly created a shadow clone in the bushes with orders to even the odds. 'Now if only Sakura could help me.' he silently mused as his clone took a deep breath.

'Time for a chance in scenery. Ninja Art: Steam Breath.' The clone then exhaled a thick cloud of steam that mixed with the mist, making it harder for water jutsu to be cast. 'Now, if only I knew the Twisting Mist Jutsu or the Misty Dragon Jutsu, this would be a lot easier.' Those two jutsu, along with the Steam Clone and Steam Breath techniques, are all steam jutsu created by his Uzumaki ancestors. As he grew up, Kushina taught him all about the history of their clan, but left out several key details that, she said, would be revealed when he was ready, just like the identity of his father.

"Well, aim this!" Naruto was then batted into a nearby lake, courtesy of the broadside of a zanbatō. He sunk into the lake, but as he tried to get up, he felt that something was off. 'Why is the water so damn heavy?' thought the blond.

It was confirmed when Zabuza appeared behind him, going through hand signs. "Gotcha!"

'Shit!' Naruto swore, but it was too late.

"Water Prison Jutsu!" the former mist ninja said. Naruto was then trapped inside a large bubble of water with Zabuza's right hand inside it. "Now you're trapped with no way out, brat. So sit back and watch as I have my fun. I'll deal with you later."

Naruto growled in frustration, especially since his hidden clone was somehow dispelled, but he inwardly smirked as he gripped the hilt of Fuukiri and channeled fire chakra into the blade. 'I hope this works.' he thought as he felt his sword glow slightly. He hoped it was strong enough to burst the giant bubble he was in.

Seeing the glow of Naruto's sword, Kouen decided that now was the time to act and save her friend. 'Time for a heated Sword Wave!' she mentally yelled as she launched another Sword Wave. This time, it was at Naruto and she used fire youki to give it extra power to turn that water prison into a mass of steam. Despite being unable to escape, Naruto was still able to move. He held up Fuukiri and awaited the fire-based Sword Wave to hit.

But before it did, Zabuza used his blade to block the attack. He then made a 'han-hitsugi' sign with his free hand and called out, "Water Clone Jutsu!" Ten replicas of Zabuza came into existence. They charged towards the group, meeting a focused Kakashi and a stunned Kouen. Zabuza's clones were defeated, but so was Kouen, who was caught off guard. She's currently with Sakura, who proceeded to hear her of the cuts on her arm.

Kakashi, on the other hand, stood in front, ready to defend the group while trying to find a way to rescue his student. Then, an idea popped into his head. 'Why didn't I think of this sooner?' he scolded himself before going to work.

A moment later, everyone saw a shuriken flying out of nowhere after they heard, "Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!" The throwing star multiplied into two hundred, shocking everyone in the area.

Seeing the metal militia heading for him, Zabuza looked to his right, only to see his captive change from Naruto to Kakashi, and then to smoke. He cursed before releasing the jutsu and forming a string of hand signs while jumped back to give himself more time. "Water Style: Water Wall!" Water shot up and formed a three-foot wall around him. He ducked down and put his sword in front of him to block the shower of shuriken.

Once the danger passed, he leaped out of the way of a slash from Kakashi. Standing up, he formed another string of hang signs while chanting, with Kakashi mimicking him, thanks to the Sharingan in his left eye. They both stopped at the same time and exclaimed, "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" Behind them, the water swirled and took the form of two large dragons with glowing yellow eyes. The two dragons roared and coiled around each other before Kakashi's bit down on Zabuza's, canceling them both out. They then rushed each other, meeting in the middle and clashing with their swords again. This time, they fought to overpower the other with neither one showing signs of faltering.

On the shore, everyone but Kurenai were stunned by the battle before them. The gennin and vixens have never seen two jounin battle it out before, so they were amazed at the level of skill and ferocity being displayed. Naruto more so because he's seeing the real thing instead of hearing about it from Kakashi when he told him stories of his old missions while he was still an ANBU. Hinata was the same, but to a lesser degree, due to being told many stories by her parents of their old missions while they were active shinobi.

After a short while, Zabuza and Kakashi backed away and started some more hand signs. "Why don't you be more original, Kakashi?" Zabuza growled, getting rather annoyed at the Copy Ninja.

"Hmm... I don't feel like it today." Kakashi shot back in a laid back tone.

Zabuza growled again as he saw Kakashi copying every sign he made. "You're nothing but a monkey, Kakashi. How can you beat me-"

"-using my own tricks against me?" Kakashi finished, interrupting and shocking the ex-jounin.

This only enraged him further. "Cut it out, you damn monkey, before I-"

"-slice you to bits." Kakashi interrupted again in a bored tone.

'How is he able to-'

"-read my mind?" This really unnerved Zabuza. "I CAN read your mind, Zabuza. You are an open book for me to read and every move in your arsenal has become my weapon." Kakashi continued.

'How is this possible?' Zabuza thought, continuing through the long chain. He then saw something that made him stop... himself behind Kakashi!

Kakashi saw this as his cue to strike. "Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu!" Water swirled in front of him as a vortex formed.

'But how? He used my own jutsu before I could!' was Zabuza's thoughts before the vortex blasted water forward, hitting him and pushing him to shore.

Wide-eyed, Hinata summoned Suibi and quickly channeled her wind chakra into the blade. "Sword Wave!" she cried as she launched her attack at the coming wave.

At the same time, Naruto flew through a few hand signs and mentally yelled, 'Ninja Art: Frozen Mist!' He then exhaled a cloud of mist that seemed to freeze the very air around it. Once they collided with the wave, some of the water froze and formed a wall to block the rest of it from drenching them.

Meanwhile, Zabuza came to after his back slammed into a tree trunk and several kunai pinned him to said tree. He looked up and saw Kakashi standing on the tree branch just above him as the ice began to melt while the water begins to recede. "Can... can you see the future?" he asked, awestruck.

Kakashi gazed at the rogue ninja with both eyes. "Yes... yes I can." he said before brandishing a kunai in his left hand. "And your future... is death." he continued in a grave tone.

But before he could move, two senbon hit the immobilized jounin in his neck, causing him to go limp. Everyone then heard a voice that seemed to come from everywhere. "You were right. His future was death." The voice belonged to a figure everyone assumed was male. He wore a mask similar to what the ANBU used with the emblem of the Village Hidden in the Mist carved on the forehead. He was garbed in a dark blue and grey battle kimono with a brown obi, mesh underneath and getas. He also had his hair in a wrapped bun with two tied up bangs framing the mask. He disappeared in a small tornado and appeared before Kakashi. "Thank you for your assistance. I've been tracking down Zabuza for months now." Kakashi nodded as the boy picked up Zabuza's body and slung an arm over his shoulder. "I must be going now. His body contains many secrets and must be disposed of." he said before he vanished in a small tornado.

It was then that Tsuki caught wind of the boy's scent. Her eyes widened as her heart ached. **'That... that was...'** she thought before fainting from the shock of her discovery.

Not long after that, Kakashi fell out of the tree and collapsed, worrying the rest of the group. Naruto rushed over to him and checked him while Sakura checked Tsuki. "He's fine, though he's suffering from chakra exhaustion." Naruto said as he covered Kakashi's left eye. "I guess even you can overdo it, huh Kakashi?"

"Tsuki's fine too. She just fainted, though I'm not sure why." Sakura reported before handing Tsuki to Hinata.

Naruto, after dismissing Fuukiri, picked Kakashi up and said, "We better get moving. Without me or Kakashi, our strength is rather limited at the moment. Kakashi-sensei needs to rest, as do I, and we need to get out of here."

Kurenai nodded, agreeing with the blond. "Tazuna, where is your home?" she asked their client.

"This way." Tazuna replied, leading the group away from the area.

xxxxx

A/N: How was that? For those who have read my other story, 'Konoha no Kin Naruto', this chapter contains bits and pieces of arc one chapter two. I tried to do this as close to the original as possible while still remaining original. So read, review and tell me how I did. All flames shall feed Fuukiri, making it even more powerful.

Instead of doing what I did last time, which was skip the mission and give a clipnotes version of the original in a single chapter, I went and did what I said I would do instead of being lazy. I may have used actual scenes from one of my other stories, but they fit and I didn't feel like typing the same thing up twice, which is why they're both different.

As you can see, Kakashi still has a sword. To be honest, I've never seen him use a sword at all. I haven't read Kakashi Gaiden yet so I wouldn't really know if he has or not. I know he uses one in a game when he's an ANBU, so I've decided to let him keep his ANBU ninjatō and give it its own look, though it's a bit similar to Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga. That wasn't intentional, mind you. Anyway, I do not own Naruto or Inuyasha. After all, this isn't a crossover story.

Since I never knew the name of Sakumo's sword and was not sure of its whereabouts, I made Shiroi Kiba for Kakashi, which would have been Sakumo's sword had I not learned of his sword's name as well as a rumor of what happened to it. Now, it is Kakashi's ANBU sword, as mentioned both above and below. Sakumo's sword may appear in this story, but I'm not making any promises. After all, to my knowledge, it is broken.

One more thing. I went back and updated arc two chapter three again, fixing a few errors that I missed and editing it just a bit. Nothing major, I might add. But if you want, go check it out.

Translations:

Hitsugi: Ram; Hold your hands together with the right hand over the left and the index and middle fingers outstretched.  
Han-Hitsugi: Half Ram; Hold your hand upwards with the index and middle fingers outstretched.

Shiroi Kiba: White Fang; Kakashi's ANBU ninjatō

Response Corner:

BlackRoseFire: Well, you won't be disappointed. I have something in mind for both of them, though one isn't original.

Primus2021: Thanks again for the info on the Bijuu. It helped me fill in a few holes in my story. Though I have one question. How can a fox and a cat give birth to a wolf?

Next Time: What happened when Naruto was in the Land of Waves? Why did Tsuki faint? Who is the mysterious boy? And what of Zabuza?

Later!


	13. Arc 2 Chapter 6

**The Kitsune and the Neko**

"Talking"  
'Thoughts'  
**Inner/Demon/Deity/Dire Beast  
**_Flashback/Mind Link_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Arc 2: Ninja Life  
Chapter 6: Waves of the Past**

After a few minutes of walking, Tazuna lead his shinobi guard to a modest home on a dock. He opened the door and called out, "Tsunami, I'm home!"

From the kitchen emerged a young woman with long dark blue hair, brown eyes and dressed in a pink shirt and a long dark blue skirt. Her eyes widened when she saw Tazuna before she ran over and embraced him. "Father, you're home! I was so worried!" she exclaimed.

Tazuna chuckled as he held his daughter. "I'm fine, Tsunami. Besides, I got eight great bodyguards to protect me."

Tsunami looked at her father in disbelief. She knew that he would go out and find some ninjas to protect him while he was building his bridge. She peeked behind him and saw the group, but more importantly, the blond boy carrying the unconscious man. "Oh! We better get him upstairs." she said before showing the boy to a room to lay the silver-haired man down in.

Once Naruto sat Kakashi down, he, Sakura and Hinata went straight to work at healing him. After a few minutes, the trio sighed. "Well, he'll be fine, but he's not going anywhere for at least a week. Chakra exhaustion tends to do that to a person." the blond diagnosed just as a blue-furred fox began to stir.

"What's chakra exhaustion?" Tsunami wondered. "Oh, and I'm Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Tsunami. My name is Sakura Haruno." Sakura replied. "Anyway, our bodies contain chakra and if we ever run out, we'll die. Chakra exhaustion is when we run so low that we risk death if we lose any more. If we're ever this exhausted, our bodies force us to rest and regain the chakra we've lost."

"This can take anywhere from a few days to maybe two weeks, depending on how much chakra your body has and how fast you can produce it. Oh, and my name is Hinata Hyuuga." Hinata added, finishing with a bow. "This is my sensei, Kurenai Yuuhi, my boyfriend, Naruto Uzumaki, and his familiars, Kouen, Ginko and Tsuki." Kurenai, Naruto and the vixens bowed as well, much to Tsunami's amusement.

"There's no need to be so formal. Just Tsunami will do." the woman giggled. Just then, she remembered something and looked at the blond. "Your name is Naruto Uzumaki, right?" He nodded with a raised eyebrow and wondering how this woman knew his name. "I remember a young blond by that name stopping a man from hurting me. Was that you?"

Naruto raised his other eyebrow while the others stared at him. 'Was she the woman I saved two years ago?' he thought as he remembered his time in the Land of Waves two summers ago.

_Ten-year-old Naruto traveled through the shopping district of a small village in the Land of Waves. He's been here for nearly a month and has spent much of his time training. Today, however, he's taking a break and picking up a few things for lunch. In his hands are two bags of fresh fruit._

_As he passed an alley, he heard the muffled scream of a female. Investigating said alley, he saw a young woman being assaulted by some thug. Scowling, Naruto took to the shadows and snuck up to the man, just like Kushina and Yuki taught him to do._

_Once he was close enough, he jumped up and struck a pressure point in the man's neck, instantly knocking him out. He then turned to the woman and saw that, besides being frightened and a little bruised up, she was fine. "It's okay. He won't hurt you anymore." he said gently as he slowly approached her. Once he was close enough, he pulled out a first aid kit and treated the nasty bruise on her right arm._

_The woman looked at the kind boy in disbelief before it switched to gratitude. "Thank you for saving me. How can I ever repay you?"_

_Naruto looked up at her and shook his head. "There's no need to repay a good deed, ma'am. I was just doing what I was taught and thought was right." he replied. "Seeing a woman being assaulted isn't something I would let happen."_

_The woman smiled warmly at him. "Well, can I, at least, get the name of my rescuer?" she asked._

_Naruto smiled as well. "My name's Naruto... Naruto Uzumaki."_

Naruto's eyes widened when he realized the resemblance between Tsunami and the woman he saved two years ago. "Yes, that was me. I never did get your name back then." he said.

Tsunami smiled at him. "Well now you know, my young rescuer."

"So you're the boy who saved my daughter two years ago?" Tazuna piped in. "Tsunami told me about you, but I thought she meant some young teenager. You must have been nine or ten back then."

"Naruto, what are they talking about?" Kurenai wondered.

Naruto sighed. "While I was here, I found Tsunami in an alley being assaulted by some thug. After I knocked him out, I treated her wounds and left, but not after giving my name when she asked for it." he explained.

"Looks like your time here was quite eventful, Naruto." mumbled Kakashi as he opened his right eye.

Kurenai raised an eyebrow at the man. "Kakashi, how are you awake? You should still be out for, at least, the rest of the day."

"I should be, had we not have three gennin with medical knowledge with us." he tiredly replied.

Just then, a small boy entered the room they were in. He has dark brown hair under the fishing cap he's wearing and brown eyes full of sadness and depression. He's dressed in a simple white t-shirt and green fisherman's pants. As soon as he saw Tazuna, he exclaimed, "Grandpa, you're home!"

Tazuna turned around just in time to catch the boy as he leaped at him. "Everyone, this is Inari, my grandson." he said before introducing the ninjas to the young boy.

The young boy, now named Inari, looked at Tsunami and said while pointing at the leaf ninjas, "Mommy, why are they here? They're only gonna die if they oppose Gato."

The ninjas blinked at the boy's words, finding it very odd. "Kid, what are you talking about?" Naruto asked him. "If what I heard about him is true, then Gato's nothing but some two-bit punk who hires thugs to do his dirty work."

Inari looked annoyed at Naruto. "What kind of idiot are you? No one can beat Gato. He has hundreds of thugs under his command. You should just go home before you all die."

A tick mark appeared on Naruto's brow. "What a silly brat, you are. Apparently, you don't know what a ninja is." He then frowned. "Bandits, thugs and the like don't stand a chance against a ninja. Considering there's five here, two being high-ranking ninjas, plus three familiars, each as strong as a ninja, Gato's little army of hired thugs don't stand a ghost of a chance." He then grinned. "Besides, we've been trained by heroes. Gato's days are numbered."

"I knew it; you are an idiot! There's no such thing as heroes!" Inari rebutted before leaving the room.

Tazuna and Tsunami sighed. "You'll have to excuse my son. He's been like this for quite some time." Tsunami said to them.

"What happened to him that made him think such things?" Hinata wondered.

"Something traumatic happened to him, that's what." Tazuna replied. "Since then, he's been gloomy and, as you can tell, thinks that anyone who goes against Gato will die."

Sakura shook her head. "Well, if he's looking for sympathy, he's barking up the wrong tree." she said. "We've experienced great tragedy and hardships so all he's doing is preaching to a deaf choir."

xxxxx

Later, Kakashi recovered enough to have some lunch before having some of Naruto's clones scout around. Once they dismissed themselves, the ninjas had a meeting to determine their next move.

"So what's the status, Naruto?" Kakashi asked him.

Naruto's been frowning ever since he entered one of the two guests rooms the family let them use. "Well, the village is in terrible shape; even worse than some of the slums I've been to. I've never seen anything this bad before." He then sighed. "Gato must be stopped. His chokehold on this country needs to end before everyone here dies from his greed and cruelty. I'll happily do it now, but I need to find out where he is. Otherwise, we'll have to lure him out somehow."

Kakashi nodded, seeing as that's their best option at the moment. "It gets worse, though. Zabuza's still alive." the man said.

The kunoichis and vixens gasped. "What? But how?" Sakura asked.

"I'm not surprised. I mean, I knew that tracker ninja wasn't trying to kill him, especially with where those senbon struck him at." Naruto commented.

"What do you mean?" Hinata wondered. She didn't see where the senbon hit, so she assumed that Zabuza was killed.

"They hit him in the neck, Hinata. With our knowledge of the human body, we should know how to fake someone's death by targeting the neck." her boyfriend said to her. Hinata and Sakura nodded, as Shizune taught them how to do that as a way to save a comrade in danger.

"So what you're saying is that the tracker ninja was actually working for Zabuza?" Kurenai surmised.

"Sort of. That's his apprentice." Sakura, Hinata and the jounin's eyes widened at this. "While I was here, Kouen and I trained under Zabuza in the ways of the sword. We're familiar with how to wield a large sword, but prefer smaller ones like a katana instead. We even trained with his apprentice, whose name is Haku, along with Ginko and Tsuki."

**"Haku's also my boyfriend."** Tsuki chimed in, shocking Sakura and the jounin. **"I haven't seen him in over a year. That was the reason why I fainted. I really miss him and I want nothing more than for him to come back to the Leaf Village with us."**

"We couldn't keep in touch with them, for it was too dangerous and our messages could be intercepted, especially since we wouldn't know where to send them." Naruto continued. "Anyway, they took me to the Land of Water and Zabuza introduced us to the man who made the swords of the Seven Swordsman. He was the one who made our weapons and is rumored to be a descendant of the legendary swordsmith, Masamune." Kouen's eyes widened at that. "Lady Tsunade and Shizune do not know this, so I'd appreciate it if you don't tell anyone that I know an A-class rogue ninja."

The others nodded in understanding. "You still could've told us, Naruto." Kurenai told him.

"I know I should have, but it was better that I didn't. There's much that I know that's too dangerous for anyone I don't trust to know. Even the trusted shouldn't know some of it." Naruto explained.

_"You and I are going to have a few words later, Naruto." the voice of Tsunade sounded in his head._

_Naruto sighed. "I know, Tsunade. I know." he said to her._

"So what's our next move? Zabuza's not going anywhere for at least a week and neither is Kakashi." Kurenai asked the group.

"Knowing Haku and how stubborn Zabuza is, he'll be moving before then." Naruto commented. "If we keep regularly feeding some of our chakra to Kakashi, he should be up and ready within five days."

"Until then, you six will be busy training while guarding Tazuna on the bridge." Kakashi spoke up. "Since he works on the bridge in the morning, you'll be training in the afternoon. We all must be prepared for whatever Gato might throw at us, which could be his whole army of hired thugs."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

xxxxx

Elsewhere, Zabuza laid in bed with his eyes closed as the young tracker ninja, now unmasked, tended to his injuries. "I told you not to underestimate him, Zabuza." the tracker ninja said to the man. His brown eyes stared at the grown man while his long black hair fell down his back.

"And I told you not to overestimate your opponents, Haku." Zabuza shot back. "Naruto has definitely improved from our last encounter. He just might give you a challenge."

"I hope so." the boy, known as Haku, replied.

Just then, the door opened and Gato walked in with two men with katanas on their left hips. "So, the great Demon of the Bloody Mist is defeated by a jounin, a wench and a few brats. You're nothing but all talk." he said, but Zabuza ignored him. "Hey! I know you're awake!"

He reached out to grab Zabuza, but Haku's hand gripped his wrist. "Don't you dare touch Zabuza with those filthy hands!" he growled before his grip tightened, breaking the man's wrist. Gato screamed and his two bodyguards unsheathed their swords, ready to cut Haku in two. A second later, Haku was between both men, their swords in the boy's grasp and the blades centimeters away from beheading them. "Do not test me. I'm in a very bad mood." Haku warned them.

Gato held his broken wrist with his good hand and motioned for his bodyguards to stand down. However, before they could retrieve their katanas, Haku swiftly snapped the blades in two, shocking them.

"Let's go. Just make sure you kill Tazuna or I won't pay you." Gato said before he and the two thugs walked out.

After the door closed, Zabuza turned his head to face his apprentice. "You didn't have to do that, you know." he said as his left hand moved from under the covers, revealing a kunai in said hand.

Haku smiled. "I know, but we can't kill Gato just yet. We still need him or the tracker ninjas will be after us again."

Zabuza sighed. "You know, I'm getting tired of running all the time. Maybe we should find a place to call home and settle there. I know that blue vixen really misses you." He grinned under his wrappings when he saw a light blush on Haku's cheeks. "Heh heh. I knew you still liked her." His expression then turned serious. "Listen. In two days, I want you to contact Naruto. I know that he knows I'm still alive. It's time for us to return the favor we owe him."

Haku nodded in agreement. "Understood, Zabuza."

xxxxx

Later that night, Naruto and Tsuki sat on the roof of Tazuna's house and stared at the moon, their eyes entranced by the celestial body. Usually, Tsuki doesn't gaze at the moon, as it was more Ginko's thing than hers, but she found an odd need to do so this night. "Naruto, why do you stare at the moon?" she asked him.

Naruto gazed at the humanoid vixen in his arms and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, why do you stare at the moon at night? I know why Ginko does it, but why do you?" she rephrased.

Naruto chuckled as his arms moved from her waist to her arms. As he rubbed them, he spoke. "I don't know. For as long as I can remember, I've always found the moon very comforting. Even when my life was more like a living hell, the moon always brought my spirits up. Of course, before I met you and your family, I've always wondered why I'm always alone and if I'll ever have a friend. There were even times that I wished I would die." He then turned Tsuki around and gazed into her cerulean eyes. "But then your mother came and saved me from a mob on my fifth birthday. That was when I began to discover happiness. If she wasn't there, I don't think I would be alive right now."

Tsuki smiled as tears streamed down her face. Naruto then leaned back and Tsuki rested her head on his chest while he held her in his arms. They returned their gaze to the moon, never noticing the extra eyes staring at them.

Watching them from the other side of the roof, Kurenai and the other girls smiled at the aura of happiness surrounding Naruto and Tsuki. They are all aware of how hard Naruto's life was before Yuki saved him that night. Sakura never knew how bad it was until he told her about Kyuubi. They're all happy that he became the young man that he is and not some delinquent or a blood-thirsty monster like most of the villagers believe he is.

As they went back inside, Sakura decided to call the two in as well. "Naruto, Tsuki, it's time to come in." Sakura said in a voice that reminded her of her mother.

The two broke their gaze off the moon and stood up. They then crossed the roof and entered the house through a window.

Once inside, Kushina spoke to her son. _"Naruto, I have a favor to ask you."_

_"What is it, Mom?"_

_"I need you to sleep with Kurenai." When she said that, Naruto blushed, which got the girls' attention._

_"WHAT?"_

_**"Do you have to be so loud, kit?"**__ Kyuubi growled as he joined the conversation._

_"Why do you want me to sleep with her?" Naruto asked his mother._

_"I won't tell you. Besides, it's not like you haven't done it before. I mean, you sleep with Ginko all the time." Kushina pointed out._

_"Yeah, but this is a grown woman, not a teenage girl!"_

_**"What's the difference?"**_

_"What's the difference? Um, hello! I don't know her like that! It would be way too awkward!" Naruto exclaimed._

_"Look, you'll find out once you're asleep with her in your arms or in her arms. Either one is fine with me." Kushina said to him. "Just do it. Trust me on this. I haven't let you down before, have I?"_

_'No, but your methods are questionable at times.' he thought to himself as he recalled the time when she explained the birds and the bees to him. He's still not comfortable with the opposite sex when they're showing enough skin that they would be called models._

"Naruto, why are you blushing?" Kouen asked him.

He turned to Kurenai, his blushed never fading, and whispered something into her ear. Once he finished, she was blushing as well, though only slightly.

"Okay, what's going on?" Tsuki wondered.

Kurenai turned to the five girls and saw that they are curious as to why she and Naruto are blushing. "Well, it seems that someone wants Naruto and I to sleep together." she said loud enough for only them to hear.

Five eyebrows rose at that. "Why would Naruto want to sleep with you? I mean, wouldn't that be inappropriate?" Sakura asked.

"That's what he said, but he's not the one asking." Kurenai replied, which only confused Sakura. "I can't really explain it because I don't understand it either."

'Neither do I.' Naruto mentally added.

"So what should we do?" Ginko asked them.

Everyone shrugged. "I guess we just do it and see what happens." Hinata suggested. She figured that Kushina must want her son to sleep with the woman for some reason. Why, she doesn't know and would like to know.

Everyone else agreed, as everyone but Sakura and Kurenai figured that it would keep Kushina from pestering Naruto and they would find out why she even suggested it in the morning. Soon, they were all in bed, Naruto snuggled between Kurenai, Hinata and Sakura.

xxxxx

Inside Naruto's dreams, Naruto woke up and found Hinata, Sakura and Kurenai with him. He raised an eyebrow and wondered, 'How did they get here?'

"Ah, it worked. I knew it would." Kushina's voice brought her son out of his musings. As she strolled over to him, she looked at the three kunoichis and smiled. "Don't you remember that you can bring someone in here if you wanted to?" she asked him. When he nodded, she continued. "Well, this also applies if you sleep with them. I can only do it this one time so you know that it's possible and so I can talk to Kurenai. And since Sakura is here also, I'll speak with her as well."

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner? Ginko and I sleep together all the time." Naruto asked her.

"I have my reasons. Now wake the girls up so we can get started. It's Mikoto's turn anyway and she's waiting for you at the training ground." Kushina told him. "Oh, and you should take Hinata with you. Hikari would love to spend some time with her."

Naruto nodded and proceeded to wake the kunoichis up. Once they were, they were confused as to where they were.

"Where are we?" Sakura asked.

"I'll explain that." Kushina spoke up. "Naruto, take Hinata and get going. I'll deal with these two." Naruto nodded and left the field with Hinata in tow. "Okay. Where we are is Naruto's dreams. I am his mother, Kushina, if you haven't figured it out yet. I've been able to speak with him since his sixth birthday, even though I'm dead. This is a gift from one of my dear old friends that they gave him through me, though that's not important right now. What is important is that Naruto can bring people here if he were to sleep with them, which explains why I asked him to sleep with you, Kurenai." She then smiled and hugged the red-eyed woman. "It's so good to see you again after all these years."

"Likewise, sensei." Kurenai replied, much to Sakura shock.

Once the two women parted, Kushina smiled warmly at Sakura. "So you're Sayuki's daughter, huh? You look just like her when she was younger. And it seems that the apple didn't fall far from the tree either."

"Huh?" was Sakura's response.

"You see, when Sayuki was your age, she liked Naruto's father. However, the feeling wasn't as mutual as she would have liked. It appears that you have inherited this from her, just like Hinata did, but that's for another time. I'd appreciate it if you kept that to yourself, as Naruto's not ready to know about his father yet. Besides, I promised that I would tell him about my husband and the man who helped me sire the boy you fell in love with." Kushina giggled when Sakura blushed. "Yes, I know you like my son. It's written all over your face. I'm not surprised, to be honest. He really is a lady-killer."

Kurenai shook her head. "Even in death, you haven't changed, sensei. I knew Naruto picked up his personality from you." she said.

"He had to get something from me. If not my looks, then my personality." Kushina said with a grin.

"What a minute. So Naruto's mom trained you, Kurenai-sensei?" Sakura asked.

"Yes she did. And I must say, I enjoyed every second of it." Kurenai replied with a warm smile. "It just sucks that it was only for about a year."

"I know. Dying before my time really sucks." Kushina added. "Anyway, I wanted Naruto to sleep with you so I can see you again. I just thought it would be just you." She then turned from her former student to her son's teammate. "Well, at least I can have a little chat with you, Sakura. And to do that... Shadow Clone Jutsu." A clone of Kushina appeared before it walked off with Kurenai in tow. "Now that we're alone, let's talk, woman to woman." She then snapped her fingers and a pair of chairs appeared.

Once they were seated, Kushina began. "Okay. First off, I know for a fact that you like my son and, probably, don't mind sharing him with Hinata and Ginko. If you decide to pursue him, there's a few things you need to know. Are you familiar with his chakra abilities?"

"Yes I am. I know he can use steam and ice style ninjutsu, as he showed me a few of them." Sakura replied.

"I see. Anything else you know about him?" Kushina continued.

"Well, I know about the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed inside him." Sakura told the redhead.

"So you know about Lord Kyuubi..." Kushina trailed off for a moment as she looked the girl over. She then nodded and smiled. "Anything else?" When Sakura shook his head, Kushina nodded again. "Okay, here's the thing. Naruto's ability to manipulate ice and steam is a kekkei genkai of my clan called Konshou Chakra. It grants the ability to naturally mix two compatible chakra elements together to allow the bearer to use the sub-element the two natures produce. The fact that Naruto can use ice and steam means he has a natural affinity for fire, wind and water. The Uzumaki clan have always had a strong connection to water and it was Lord Kyuubi's doing that Naruto has the fire element, considering that he is a fire demon."

"So his wind element came from his father?" Sakura guessed.

"Right. Naruto knows this, but does not know who his father is, like I mentioned earlier. Now, you must remember this rule. Anything that happens here stays here. Understand?" Sakura nodded, causing Kushina to smile again. "Good. Now, as of four years ago, my blood flows through my son's veins, but it hasn't awakened yet. Once it does, he'll gain the earth element and will be able to do more than what he can do now. This may also make him unable to learn any lightning style jutsu. Now, because he has a kekkei genkai, the council may try to force the Clan Restoration Act on him."

"The Clan Restoration Act?" Sakura wondered. She's never heard of that before.

"In short, the CRA allows the males of a dying clan to marry more than one woman. Sometimes, arranged marriages are set up to ensure the clan's survival." Kushina explained. "Personally, I am against this wholeheartedly, as I have no desire whatsoever to have my son become a pervert. What's worse is that they may try to force him to marry particular girls in order to have some form of control over him. We're lucky that not much is known about Konshou Chakra besides its name and that it affects the bearer's chakra. And since no one knows that he is my son, no one knows that he even has a kekkei genkai." Sakura sighed in relief at that. "However, someone must have known that he is my son." She then explained about the seals that were placed on Naruto years ago and their functions, since Jiraiya told Naruto last year and he told her.

Sakura's reaction was just as Kushina expected. The girl broke into tears at the thought of her friend being literally restrained and having his birthright sealed away. "Lady Kushina, do you know who did this to him?" she asked.

"No we don't, but I believe Master Jiraiya does. I'm not sure, to be honest." the woman replied. "Now, are there any questions you want to ask before we move on?"

"Well, where did Naruto come up with that cool jutsu?" Sakura asked her.

"Which one?" Kushina wondered.

"The one where he sprouts wings." Kushina started laughing, confusing Sakura. "What? Did I say something funny?"

"No, but I can't believe he used that excuse." she giggled. "Don't tell anyone, but that's my other kekkei genkai."

"WHAT?" Sakura exclaimed.

"Do you have to be so loud?" Kushina said as she held her ringing ears. "Anyway, that's another thing he inherited from me and was also sealed away. The reason I laughed was because that's the same excuse I used when they believed it to be a kekkei genkai. They were right, of course, but I didn't want them to know that. I am not someone who will simply have babies just to produce super soldiers. No, I had to hide my wings and claim them to be a jutsu that can't be copied and is considered mine and mine alone, since no one knew my real last name."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Sakura asked her.

"Because I didn't want anyone doing research on me and learning that I'm the last of a clan. I wanted to be treated like a normal woman and not like I'm royalty or something." Kushina explained. "Anyway, the kekkei genkai is called Reiyoku. As the name states, the bearer possesses a pair of wings that can be used to fly, fight, defend and heal. The feathers have several uses and can grow back almost instantly. Fortunately for us, the wings pass through our clothing, so we don't have to take off our jackets or coats to use them and I'm not flying around topless either." Kushina them closed her eyes as a pair of large wings emerged from her back.

Sakura was amazed by the sheer beauty of the wings. They are covered with snow-white feathers and it made her look like an angel. "Can I... can I touch them?" she timidly asked. Kushina chuckled before nodding to her. Sakura reached out and touched Kushina's right wing. She was amazed that the feathers are so soft, just like Naruto's.

Kushina smiled as she gazed at the girl. She knew that she was just like Sayuki in many ways. A great cook, loves baking, likes to garden and has a big heart. She even inherited her slight fangirlism. She knew from her son that Sakura was one of Sasuke's fangirls, but that died quickly and, it seems, she jumped the boat and joined Naruto's, albeit small, fanclub. She was alright in her book. 'Now, how to get her and Naruto together as more than friends...' she pondered.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, Hinata and Hikari are currently sparring. Watching them is Neko, who's currently in her demon form.

"Excellent, Hinata. I'm very proud of you. You've improved greatly since I last saw you." Hikari said as she hugged her first born.

"Thanks, Mother." Hinata smiled, enjoying her mother's embrace as much as possible. 'I just wish that Hanabi was here too.' she thought to herself.

Once they parted, Hikari smiled as well. "Okay, I'm going to teach you two new jutsu. I want you to practice them when you're awake and alone. That way, you can surprise Naruto with them. I'll give Lady Neko the scrolls so she can help you with them." Hinata nodded as Hikari produced two scrolls... from somewhere.

Neko stood up and padded over to the pair. Reaching out, she wrapped a tail around each scroll as Hikari handed them to her. She saw the scrolls glow and raised an eyebrow. **"Hikari, how can these scrolls exist in Hinata's mind if she doesn't know about them?"** she asked.

**"That's actually my doing."** said Kyuubi as he sat on a nearby tree branch. **"Because the kit has a connection to Hikari, albeit a small one, I can use my youki and have her share knowledge with someone she's related to. The same thing applies with making it real, but only Naruto and Kushina can do that at the moment."**

**"So if the kitten has a similar connection to her mother, then they can make these scrolls real?"** Neko surmised.

**"Precisely. However, from what they said, the process takes quite some time and is very difficult to do successfully."** Kyuubi continued. **"Well, that's all I have to say. I'm going to check on the kit. Later."** And with that, Kyuubi vanished in a flash of cyan flames.

Hikari returned her attention to her daughter and said, "Well now, are you ready?"

Hinata nodded as Neko sat back down with the two scrolls still in her tails' grasp.

xxxxx

Elsewhere, Naruto's currently practicing a fire jutsu that Mikoto taught him. "Concentrate, Naruto. Don't force it and don't rush it." she said to him.

Naruto nodded before leaping into the air while flashing through hand signs. "Fire Style: Flame Flower!" he exclaimed before spitting out three large fireballs from his mouth. The fireballs crashed down, but only one hit the target dummy. When Naruto saw this, he sighed. "Damn, I keep on missing. What am I doing wrong?" he asked himself.

"You need to focus, Naruto. This is an advanced jutsu, after all. You won't get it as easily as the others." Mikoto said to him.

Naruto nodded and was about to try again, had Kyuubi not appeared in his usual way. **"How's he doing?"** he asked the woman.

Mikoto pointed over to the target dummy and the fox demon saw the two small craters near it. **"Still need work on the aim, kit."**

"Don't remind me." Naruto grumbled. He's been working on this jutsu for about a month and, while he got the jutsu down, he can't aim it very well. The Flame Flower technique is an advanced version of the Phoenix Flower Jutsu, which spits several small fireballs out. The number of fireballs are much less than its predecessor, but the size and power of them are much greater, on par with the Fireball Jutsu. If Naruto can control the fireballs to where they'll hit the same target at the same time, nothing short of a demon can survive the explosion.

He sighed once more before trying it again.

xxxxx

The next morning, the residents of Tazuna's seaside house woke up and began their morning rituals. After breakfast, the gennin and the vixens escorted Tazuna to the bridge while Kurenai stayed and guarded Tsunami and Inari while tending to Kakashi. While awake and able to move, he was advised to rest and recover for a few days before he started moving about.

On the bridge, Naruto and Hinata employed their shadow clones to help the workers as well as guard the bridge more effectively. While the gennin regularly patrolled the bridge, the vixens stayed and guarded Tazuna while keeping their mouths shut, as they don't need anyone knowing that they can talk. They told Tazuna this while his family wasn't listening and he understood.

"You saw the condition of the village, haven't you?" the master bridge builder asked Kouen, who's perched on his shoulder. When she nodded, he continued. "Gato bled us dry of just about everything. Even our feudal loud is poor. This bridge is a sign of hope. Once it's completed, we can restore our home back to the way it was before Gato showed up."

**'These people really need our help. It's a good thing we're not doing this for the money.'** Kouen thought to herself as she kept watch on Tazuna's shoulder, making sure that no one harms him.

xxxxx

In the afternoon, the gennin and the vixens stood in the forest. It was time to train.

"Okay. Do any of you have any projects you're working on?" Naruto asked the girls.

Hinata, Kouen and Ginko nodded while Sakura and Tsuki shook their heads. Naruto nodded and said, "Okay, then. Sakura, Tsuki, you two come with me while they use this clearing." The two nodded and walked off with him. The two sisters shared a look before walking off as well, leaving Hinata alone to use the clearing for her training.

"Here we go." she said to herself before creating some shadow clones to help her.

xxxxx

In another clearing, Naruto turned and looked at Sakura and Tsuki. He then pulled out a scroll from his vest and unsealed a trio of bows and three quivers of arrows. "Listen closely. I'm going to begin teaching you a new jutsu. But before I can teach it to you, you must have skills in archery. I'll coach Kouen and Ginko tomorrow while I help you two today. Once we return home, I'll teach it to Ino as well." Naruto explained as he gave a bow and a quiver to each girl. He then created a small army of shadow clone to serve as targets.

xxxxx

Hidden in the trees, Haku spied on Naruto and the two girls as the blond taught them archery. 'So he trains in the afternoon while watching Tazuna in the morning.' he mused to himself. He kept watching and hoped that by watching this, he'll be able to learn whatever jutsu Naruto plans on teaching the two girls. 'I just hope he'll teach it to me as well.'

xxxxx

The next afternoon, Naruto took Kouen and Ginko into another clearing while Hinata instructed Sakura and Tsuki on archery.

As soon as they entered the clearing, the tracker ninja appeared before them. "Hello, Naruto, Kouen and Ginko." he said.

"Hello, Haku." the trio said.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked.

Haku took off his mask before he began. "We wish to repay the debt that we owe you."

This confused the two vixens. "While we were in the Land of Water, we ran into a few tracker ninjas who assumed that Zabuza kidnapped me, since I was a young, new face. I helped them escape and Zabuza said that they owed me for getting them out of that mess." Naruto explained to them.

"Exactly. We want to know if it's possible for us to join the Leaf Village. Zabuza is tired of running and I want to be with Tsuki." Haku asked him with a slight blush towards the end.

Naruto smiled, knowing that Haku still cares about the blue vixen. "I'll see what I can do, but I can't make any promises. Meet me on Tazuna's roof three nights from now. Wait for me to be alone before you come and use the usual to identify me."

Haku nodded before vanishing in a small tornado. "I wish he could teach me that." Naruto muttered, causing the two vixens to giggle.

xxxxx

That night, he sat in Kakashi's room, since he can't sleep without one of the vixens or one of his girlfriends at night due to the chronic nightmares he still suffers from. "Kakashi, I need a favor." he said to the jounin.

"What is it?"

"I need one of your hounds to send a scroll to the Hokage as soon as possible." Naruto replied.

Kakashi nodded and sat up. "I don't know if I have enough chakra to summon right now." he muttered.

"Then use some of mine. That should work, right?" Naruto offered.

Kakashi nodded and instructed Naruto to place his hands on his shoulders while channeling a steady stream of chakra into him. When Naruto began doing so, Kakashi cut his finger and flashed through a few hand signs. "Summoning Jutsu." he said as he slammed his hand onto the floor. An array of seals surrounded the area at which Kakashi's hand resided before he pulled it back as a plum of smoke appeared.

Once it cleared, a brown pug with a blue jacket and a leaf headband as a collar was sitting and staring at the jounin. **"Yo."** the pug said in a deep masculine voice.

"Pakkun, Naruto has a scroll he needs delivered to the Hokage. Can you take it to him?" Kakashi asked the dog.

**"How big is the scroll?"** Pakkun asked. When Naruto showed him a small scroll, Pakkun nodded. **"Sure, I can get it there in no time."**

"Thank you, Pakkun." Naruto said before pulling out another scroll. This one has a red ribbon tying it closed. "I managed to find a few good steaks and sealed them in this scroll. They're yours once you've delivered the scroll to the Hokage."

**"Thanks, Naruto."** the pug said as Naruto tied both scrolls onto his back with a black ribbon. Once they were secured, Pakkun ran off.

"So what's this all about, Naruto?" Kakashi asked his student.

Naruto sighed before he began to explain.

xxxxx

Elsewhere, Gato was in his office, speaking to a large cloaked man with a large bandaged object on his back.

"So why did you send for me, Gato?" the man spoke in a gruff voice.

"I want you to kill this man." Gato said as he showed him a picture of Tazuna. "I will pay you to do it."

The figure stared at the photo for a moment before he growled and returned his gaze to Gato. "You will need a lot more than money to earn my services." he said.

"Such as what? Slaves? Women? Whatever it is, I should be able to get it." Gato asked.

The figure did not respond. Instead, he tossed the shipping mogul a photo.

As Gato stared at the picture in his hand, he raised a confused eyebrow. "I don't get it? Why do you want that little brat?"

"That's none of your business. If you can get him for me alive, I'll kill the man you want me to." the figure told him.

"Well, he's currently guarding the old man, so you can get the boy yourself after you kill Tazuna." Gato said. "But while you're at it, can you get these four as well?" He then showed the figure four more pictures.

As the figure stared at the photos, he grinned. "Sure, no problem. But the dark-haired girl is mine."

Gato shrugged. "As you wish. Oh, and there's one more thing I need you to do."

xxxxx

A/N: And the plot thickens. (Insert maniacal laughter) Sorry for keeping you all waiting, but this chapter was a bit tougher than I thought to type up. Damn writer's block... Anyway, quite a bit was revealed this chapter, including Naruto's bloodlines. Just so you know, the village doesn't know he has a bloodline, as he was able to play off his steam jutsu as something only he can do, since Sakura hasn't shown any of hers yet. Now, please read and review. All flames shall be drenched by Haku. He doesn't like the heat they produce. They keep melting the ice he makes.

I revealed a little more of Naruto's summer trips this chapter as well as added a rather interesting element to the story. Never thought I would have a rumored descendant of Masamune in my story, did you? Well, I don't know if I'll feature him or not, but he will appear in a flashback or two later. And yes, I'll come up with a name for him. And what do you think of Kushina being Kurenai's jounin instructor? I've seen it done in another story; which is why I'm sending a shout out to Reaper INI. I'm sorry I didn't ask if I could use the idea, but I didn't know if it was an idea that you, in particular, owned or not.

Also, for those who guessed that Tsuki's boyfriend is Haku, give yourself a cookie. Now, who do you think Gato just hired? I won't tell, but he'll appear next chapter.

One more thing. Be sure to check every Sunday for any possible updates to either my stories or my profile. I'll only update on Sundays from now on. Also, I won't be updating this story for at least a month. I need to focus on one of my stories before I can resume any of my others. That and it gives me time to iron out my ideas for the next chapter. I've also updated arc one chapter seven again. I've been doing some more research and found a few things that I needed to correct. I've posted another notice in that chapter so you'll know what I did.

Translations:

Konshou Chakra: Advanced Chakra; It's actual japanese name is Konshou Chakura  
Reiyoku: Sacred Wings

Response Corner:

Fester0662: Yeah, I have the same problems with OCs. That's why I only use so many OCs in a single story. Too many OCs would be too much for me to manage, though some that are in all stories is a different matter. Anyway, thank you.

Zamrok: Well, your waiting is finally over. I explained both of Naruto's bloodlines in this chapter. Tell me what you think of them.

Important Notice: 1/10/2010: Due to circumstances beyond my control, which is very annoying I might add, I haven't done my usual spelling and grammar check. If I was to make it on time, I had to skip it. I'll repost this chapter next week.

Update: 1/17/2010: This chapter has been reposted just like I said above. If you read this during the week is was up, please don't fault me on any mistakes I may've made.

I won't give a preview this time. I want to surprise you all with what I have planned.

Later!


	14. Arc 2 Chapter 7

**The Kitsune and the Neko**

"Talking"  
'Thoughts'  
**Inner/Demon/Deity/Dire Beast  
**_Flashback/Mind Link_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Arc 2: Ninja Life  
Chapter 7: Nightmare on the Bridge**

It's been two days since Haku visited Naruto. Pakkun arrived early the next morning and presented Naruto with a scroll before returning to his home. After he and Kakashi read it, they shared a smile. Naruto told the one-eyed jounin about Zabuza and Haku wanting to join the Leaf Village. While he wasn't for it initially, Kakashi did agree to have a chat with the man before making any decisions. The two shinobi knew that it wasn't personal that Zabuza attacked them. He was just doing his job. While they respected that, they didn't like how they had to deal with it. Also, Kakashi wants to know why he attempted a coup d'état against the Mizukage. Neither Naruto nor Haku knows the answer to that, since the man never told them and they never did ask.

Now that Kakashi can move, they've decided to split the training and guarding during the afternoon. Naruto, Hinata and the vixens would create ten shadow clones and have them guard the house while the ninjas are training not too far away.

We now find Kurenai with Naruto as she helps him in his weakest element and what she specializes in.

"Naruto, from what Kushina and Yuki told me, you can't learn most genjutsu due to your dense chakra." the kunoichi jounin began. "What chakra control exercises do you know?"

"Well, I've mastered Leaf Balancing, Tree Climbing on my hands and feet, and Water Walking on my feet only. I'm also adept in basic Point Balancing and the basic stages of Fire, Wind, Water, Steam and Ice Manipulation." Naruto replied after a bit of thought.

Kurenai whistled. 'Impressive for a twelve-year-old rookie gennin. I'm surprised he only knows five genjutsu, though I don't know what the fifth one is.' she mused. "Okay. I'm going to test a theory, Naruto. First, I need you to use the jutsu Yuki told me about. The one you and Hinata created."

Naruto nodded before flashing through two hand signs. "Kitsune Form Jutsu!" he called out before he reappeared from the smoke with fox ears and three tails.

Kurenai raised an eyebrow before she walked over and touched one of his ears. 'They're soft.' she thought as she proceeded to play with his ears until she felt one of his tails coil around her waist and his eyes slightly glazed over. 'She was right; they are real.' She then noticed his slight blush. 'I guess he never had someone play with his ears before.' "Naruto, is this the first time someone played with your ears?" she asked him, hiding her amusement.

Naruto nodded meekly, feeling a little embarrassed at the older kunoichi playing with his ears. Sure, he played with Ginko's ears and tails, but she never returned the favor before. And while he knows that his kunoichi friends were quite tempted, they didn't either.

Kurenai suppressed a giggle before shaking her amusement away and stepping back a bit. "Well, here's my theory. You might be able to learn and use more than those five genjutsu in this form, but only if this jutsu affects your body as well." she explained.

She would have continued had Naruto not summoned a cyan fireball in his right hand. "You mean to say that I might only be able to learn some jutsu in my fox form?" Naruto surmised. "Kyuubi did mention something along those lines to me, which is why I can create foxfire. I'm only able to because he altered the jutsu as a gift for being Ginko's chosen mate, though we haven't marked each other yet." He whispered that last part out so Kurenai wouldn't hear it.

Kurenai nodded in understanding. She is well aware of Ginko being Kyuubi's daughter, thanks to Kushina. "I see. So, do you want to see if genjutsu might fall on that list?" she asked him.

Naruto dispelled the fireball before nodding. "Sure. Every little bit helps, right?"

"Right. Now, we'll start with a basic, yet useful, one called the False Surroundings Jutsu. This D-rank demon illusion covers an object or an area in an illusion that changes its appearance." Kurenai explained. "Most ninjas start out with this one because it is the easiest to learn. Watch me do it first before you attempt it yourself." Naruto nodded and watched as she changed a nearby log into a bench, a tree into a light pole and then the area they are in into a lush garden. "Now, it's your turn. Start with something small, like this rock." She belt down and picked up a rock about the size of her fist. "To cast the illusion, form these hand signs and channel some of your chakra into the rock while imagining what you want it to look like." Kurenai sat the rock on the log before showing Naruto the five hand signs needed for the jutsu.

Naruto spent five minutes flashing through the hand signs over and over again before he nodded to himself and attempted the jutsu. His first attempt wasn't a good start. The rock didn't change at all, meaning the jutsu didn't work. He tried again, using less chakra and still nothing. He kept trying and after half an hour, it finally changed. The rock turned into a clay bowl, but it was severely deformed.

Kurenai inspected the illusion before frowning slightly. "Well, at least we're making progress, Naruto."

xxxxx

Elsewhere, Kakashi is helping Sakura increase her combat skills.

"Okay, Sakura. Naruto told me that you're learning archery. While I don't know it myself, I can help provide you with targets, both moving and stationary." Kakashi began. "We'll start with an accuracy test. Can you see the targets alright" He then pointed at three targets he made. Sakura nodded, able to see them just fine, though the last one seemed pretty far away. "Good. The first target is five meters from this line." He pointed at a pair of kunai in the ground. "The second target is ten meters while the third target is twenty meters. You'll start by firing ten arrows at the first target. Then, you'll fire at the second target and finally, the third. Between firings, my shadow clone will inspect each target and grade your accuracy on a ten-point scale. You lose one point for every inch the arrow is away from the center, since the targets are twenty inches in diameter. This way, we'll have a rough estimate of just how accurate you are at different ranges." Sakura nodded in understanding before unsealing her bow and quiver. "Are you ready?" She nodded again after readying an arrow. "Then begin at your leisure. I won't time you on this one, but the others will be timed to see how fast you are."

Sakura breathed before aiming her bow and releasing the arrow. The arrow soared through the air before it hit the first target. She fired nine more at a slow and relaxed pace before taking a small break while Kakashi's clone inspected the target. After it gave the ok, she continued.

A few minutes later, Kakashi's clone walked up to them with thirty arrows in one hand and a clipboard in another. He handed Sakura her arrows before giving the real Kakashi the clipboard. "Let's see... Sakura, your accuracy on the first target is seventy-two percent. Not bad for a few days' practice." Sakura smiled at that. "Your accuracy on the second target is fifty-nine percent and your accuracy on the third target is thirty-four percent. Still not that bad. Not good by professional standards, but not bad for your fourth day." He then gave his clone the clipboard and continued. "This time, you'll fire fifty arrows at the first target only. Once we get your accuracy to at least ninety percent, we'll move on to the second target. We'll keep this up until I stay stop, though you'll be taking breaks during firings. Understood?" Sakura nodded while the shadow clone walked back over to the first target. "Good. Now begin, and avoid hitting my clone while you're at it."

xxxxx

Meanwhile, Kouen and Ginko are busy learning new jutsu.

"So, what did you get?" Ginko asked her sister while holding a scroll.

"I got the Thunder Cage Jutsu. You?" Kouen replied, also holding a scroll.

"I got the Mud Clone Jutsu." Ginko then grinned and asked, "Shall we practice them on each other?"

"What do you mean?" Kouen wondered.

"I mean, you trap my clones in your cage." Ginko explained.

Kouen mulled it over for a moment before nodding. Smiling at each other, the two vixens read their scrolls before getting to work.

'Okay, the Thunder Cage Jutsu requires the ability to manipulate lightning chakra, or youki in my case, to create an actual cage of lightning, hence the name.' Kouen said to herself. 'To do this, I need to imagine that energy forming into a cage big enough to trap my opponent in.' She looked around and found a small boulder she thought was perfect for her first target. 'Might as well until Ginko can create those clones.' she thought before doing some more reading to determine the hand signs and how much chakra it takes. She then rolled up the scroll and put it away before forming the hand signs. 'Here we go. Thunder Cage Jutsu.' She channeled her chakra into the ground, as per the instructions, and watched as an electrical field surrounded the boulder, but did not form into a cage. 'I don't think it supposed to do that.'

Nearby, Ginko is studying her scroll as well. 'Let's see... The Mud Clone Jutsu utilizes the earth beneath the user to form an exact replica out of them. The earth is exposed to a little moisture so it can be turned into mud. This does not require the ability to manipulate water chakra, but it does require the user to know how to manipulate earth chakra, even without the elemental affinity. Kinda knew that already.' She added the last part as an afterthought. 'To perform this technique, the user must channel their chakra into the ground and focus on turning the earth into mud and using it to create a replica of themselves. These clones are as physically strong as the user and are quite durable, but are limited in speed. They can travel up to five meters from the user before they fall apart and one strong blow will dispel them.' she continued. 'Well, that's good to know.' She then rolled up the scroll after reading a little more and put it away. She then formed four hand signs while channeling her earth youki into the ground. 'Here goes something. Mud Clone Jutsu.' Out from the ground came a small tower of mud that quickly solidified into another Ginko, but it wasn't an exact replica. It barely even looked like her. She sighed. 'Here we go again.'

xxxxx

While the others are training, Haku and Tsuki are busy catching up.

Tsuki moaned as she sat on Haku's lap with her tails around his waist while he played with her ears. "I've missed you, Haku." she purred.

"I know. I've missed you too, Tsuki." Haku whispered to her gently.

"I was worried that I might not see you again." the vixen whimpered a little.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to disappear. I wouldn't allow myself to die without seeing you again." he said to her.

Tsuki sat up and looked him in the eye. "You mean... you'll come home with me?" she asked, looking more like she did when she first met Naruto, innocence and all.

Haku smiled at her while passing his hands through her hair. "Of course I'll come home with you. That is, if you want me to."

Tsuki smiled happily before she pounced onto him, raining kisses all over his face while her tails wagged happily. Haku laughed at her behavior before she silenced him by kissing him on the lips. Haku's eyes widened before they closed. He has never been kissed before... not in this way, at least. He never knew it would be this wonderful.

Tsuki felt like she died and went to heaven. She never felt so happy in her life. And when she finally kissed Haku, she felt even happier. Even her kiss with Naruto wasn't this good. 'I knew it! He is the one!' she thought as tears of happiness welled up in her eyes.

Once they pulled away, Haku saw the tears and pulled the vixen close. "Don't worry, Tsuki. As long as you want me to, I'll never leave you." he vowed.

"Haku..." she spoke before simply relaxing in his arms.

xxxxx

Later, Naruto came back to Tazuna's with a sleeping Tsuki in his arms.

"Is she alright?" Tsunami wondered.

"She's fine. She's probably just tired." Naruto replied.

"I'll take her upstairs, Naruto." Sakura suggested.

"It's okay, Sakura. I got her." Naruto said to her.

"No, I insist." Naruto shrugged as he handed the sleeping vixen over to his teammate before she took her to their room.

Sakura laid Tsuki on the bed and was about to shut the door behind her when she heard, **"Wait, Sakura."**

Sakura looked inside and saw Tsuki wake up with tears in her eyes. She slipped back in and shut the door before sitting beside the young kitsune. "What's wrong, Tsuki?"

Tsuki turned to Sakura and smiled. **"I think I'm in love."** she said.

Sakura blinked in surprise and confusion before she remembered that she's dating Haku. "With Haku?" Tsuki nodded, causing a huge smile to spread across the kunoichi's face. "Congratulations! Have you told him?"

**"Not yet, but I'm worried about Gato hurting him before I can tell him."** Tsuki sighed before laying back down, resting her head on her paws.

"Cheer up, Tsuki. Haku's strong, isn't he? He won't let some crooked businessman like Gato hurt him." Sakura said to comfort the little blue fox.

**'That's not what I'm worried about, Sakura.'** Tsuki thought to herself, not wanting to voice her concern.

xxxxx

About a half hour later, Hinata entered the house to notice that both Naruto and Inari are missing and that the atmosphere is tense. "Um, what's going on?" she wondered aloud.

"Inari blew a gasket and called Naruto a spoiled brat for not understanding the pain and suffering that Gato put this village through." Kouen explained with a frown on her face. "Naruto nearly snapped and told the kid off... rather colorfully I might add."

"That's a mild way of putting it." Tsuki muttered.

"Where are they?" Hinata asked with wide eyes.

"Inari's in his room, but Naruto disappeared." Tsunami replied.

Hinata created a shadow clone and sent it to Inari's room while she activated the Byakugan. After a moment, she found her boyfriend and vanished in a plume of smoke.

xxxxx

In Inari's room, Hinata's shadow clone snuck up on him and once she was behind him, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "You shouldn't be so hard on him." she said.

Inari tried to hit her hand, but only hit air. "What do you know?" he sneered at her.

Hinata gave the boy a stern look before she spoke. "You know, for a boy who says we don't know what's going on here, you're the one who's in the dark."

Inari stared at her, confused as well as shocked from what Naruto told him earlier.

"I've known Naruto since we were five years old. While you have known and grew up with your mother and grandfather, he never knew his parents. He was forced to grow up alone until he was five where he was taken in." Hinata explained. "Before then, he was, for lack of a better word, tortured by the bulk of our home's population practically every day. Even after someone took him in, he was still tortured. What's worse is that children our age followed in their parents' footsteps, picking on him while he's either trying to play or make a friend. He's known sadness his whole life, but happiness for more than half of it." She then glanced at a picture and noticed that it was the missing piece of the family portrait they saw in the dining room. "Is he your father?"

Inari scowled at her, but her stern look quieted him.

"Your grandfather told us about Kaiza days ago. He reminds me of my mother." Hinata smiled as she remembered her late mother. "Naruto and I loved her very much, but she died a few years ago from a terminal illness. She said to me that no matter what, I must protect my sister and follow my heart. Since then, I followed her wish and look how I turned out." She smiled at him before asking, "So what was Kaiza's last wish? What did he want you to do with your life."

Inari frowned before he started crying from remembering Kaiza. "H-He told me t-to protect what I l-love with b-both my arms." he sobbed.

"And how exactly can you do that? By whimpering and crying all day or claiming that Gato's unbeatable?" Hinata rhetorically asked him. "All you're doing is disgracing his memory. By saying that we're simply butting in and that we'll only die if we fight Gato, you are disrespecting Kaiza's beliefs. I would never do something like that to my mother, so why would you do that to him? And even with all the whining you're doing, I see no reason for it. I mean, you still have your mother and grandfather. Just think of what they might be feeling. If I remember right, your mother loved Kaiza. You're not the only one who lost someone when he died, Inari. I think you should stay here and think about what kind of pain you've been causing them from your attitude." She then left the room before dispelling herself, leaving Inari to his thoughts.

xxxxx

Elsewhere, the real Hinata is currently watching her boyfriend freeze the river with his breath. She and Neko can practically feel his anger as he punched the ice, causing pillars of ice to rise up.

_"If only we could do something." she said to her inner demon._

_**"I can't, but you can."**__ Neko said to her. Hinata once asked Naruto if he could teach her the Spirit Division technique, but Kyuubi informed them that it couldn't be used to summon Neko, just like it can't be used to summon the great fox._

Hinata sighed before she gently blew a light, chilling breeze at him. Once it passed through him, he shivered a bit before looking in the direction it came from, only to see his lavender-eyed kitten. He motioned for her to come over and she joined him as he sat under a tree.

"I knew you would come sooner or later." he said to her. "Did you hear what happened?"

"Yeah. I showed up moments after you left." Hinata then leaned into him and snuggled up to him. "Naruto, what's the matter? What did he say that got to you?"

Naruto sighed as he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend. "He called me a pampered brat who never knew pain in his life and was raised to be ignorant." Hinata shook her head at the kid's foolishness. "You know how much I hate ignorance, right?"

"I know, my love. I hate it too, but you can't blame the boy. He's just blinded by grief." Hinata explained.

He sighed again and looked up into the sky, but then felt another pair of arms wrap around him along with four furry tails. Looking to his right, he saw Ginko's cerulean eyes.

His two girlfriends smiled before kissing his cheeks. "Naruto, don't let him get to you. Remember, we're on a mission and we need you for this." Ginko said to him.

"She's right." a familiar voice added as Sakura appeared on his lap, her pink foxtail slowly wagging behind her. "We all need you, Naruto. You wouldn't let this country down, would you?"

Naruto sighed once more, but then smiled and flashed though two hand signs, transforming into his fox form. His three tails wrapped around their waists as his arms and wings pulled his two girlfriends closer. "You're right. I won't let this country down." he said. "And I definitely won't let you three down either."

Sakura smiled before she shifted her position on his lap, straddling him. Her tail curled around his as she leaned forward, their faces mere inches apart. "Naruto, remember when you said that you were surprised I haven't asked you out yet?" Naruto nodded while blushing from their proximity. "Well, I was tempted for months before that party last year, but I knew that you already had a girlfriend, two at that. I didn't think you would want another one."

"Sakura, do you know why I said that?" Naruto asked her. When she shook her head, he replied, "Because I knew that you liked me. The look I saw in your eyes when we first met was the same look I saw in Hinata and Ginko's eyes when I first met them. The thing is, while I knew you liked me, I didn't know how you liked me. Kouen and Tsuki see me as their brother, Tenten and Ino see me as their friend and Hinata and Ginko see me as their lover." He then freed his arms so he can cup Sakura's face. "So can you tell me how you see me... please?"

Instead of using words, Sakura decided to give him a more physical answer. She closed the gap between them and pressed her lips to his. They promptly closed their eyes and pulled each other close as they kissed. Hinata and Ginko smiled as they watched. Sakura has made her first step in telling him how she feels.

As soon as Sakura pulled away, she nuzzled his left cheek and whispered into his ear, "How about I show you after we return home... perhaps over dinner?"

Glancing at Ginko, he saw her nod and mouth, "Say yes. Hinata and I approve." With a raised eyebrow, he smiled and nodded. "Sure, Sakura. In fact, I know exactly where to take you."

Sakura leaned back and stared into his eyes with a big smile before resting her head on his chest while Hinata and Ginko rested their heads on his shoulders. Naruto sighed, knowing that they're going to get it in the morning, but decided not to care. Still, he sent a clone to inform the jounin before closing his eyes and falling asleep, his wings covering them to keep them warm.

xxxxx

Naruto's eyes fluttered open as he heard soft purring behind him. Looking around, he found himself just outside of Neko's cage with said nekomata sitting behind him.

Neko rubbed one of her tails under his chin and watched him blush. **"Good to see you again, Naruto."** she purred. **"I see you've found another mate in that Sakura girl."**

"She's not my mate, Lady Neko. She's not even my girlfriend yet." Naruto denied.

**"But do you deny not wanting her as such?"** Neko prodded.

Naruto was about to open his mouth to answer, but found himself wondering if he really did. 'I have three girlfriends already. Am I really supposed to have this many in the first place?' He's well aware of how his female friends feel about him. Ginko and Hinata love him and can't wait to be married to him. Ino likes to tease and flirt with him and has a slight habit of seducing him. Kouen and Tenten are like older sisters to him and loves sparring with him; though Tenten has an odd need for close physical contact every now and then. Probably because she doesn't have a boyfriend yet. Tsuki loves dancing with him and has this cuteness to her that makes it hard for him to say no to her. Sakura, while similar to Ino, seems to want to be close to him more than anything. He can't seem to understand what he's doing to attract these girls to him.

To make it worse, Kushina told him of what the council might do to him if they were to discover his bloodlines. While he is secretly dating the Hyuuga heiress, a kitsune princess and a demonic empress, he doesn't know if what he's doing is right or even fair. Kyuubi and Neko told him that, as an alpha male, he can take multiple mates. Kushina, while against the idea, agreed with them on the promise that he doesn't become a pervert. Naruto sighed before finally voicing his answer. "I-I don't know. I mean, is this even right?"

"It depends on how you look at it." Hinata spoke up as she opened her eyes.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked her.

"Naruto, Ginko and I spoke to Sakura several days ago. She admitted to liking you as more than a friend. I'm sure that kiss gave that away." Naruto nodded. "We've decided to allow her to tell you and if you agree, she can join us as your girlfriend. She also knows about Lady Neko."

**"I never got to meet her when we were inside your dreams a few nights ago, so I brought us here so I can."** Neko added. **"Besides, we hardly get to spend any time together unless you and the kitten meditate so I can see you. I want to have some fun while we're here."**

Naruto sighed before rousing Sakura and Ginko from their sleep. Once they were up, Neko introduced herself to the cherry blossom.

**"Now that we're all acquainted, let's have some fun!"** Neko said, now in her human form, before looking at her boyfriend with a huge grin. **"Use the Spirit Division so there's enough of you for all of us."**

Naruto nodded before he and Sakura used the jutsu, creating four more Narutos while summoning Haruko.

"Dance with me!" Haruko exclaimed as she grabbed one of the Narutos and started dancing with him.

Hinata giggled before she grabbed one of the Narutos and pulled him into a deep kiss.

Ginko's tails wrapped around one of the Narutos' waists and pulled him into a deep kiss as well.

Sakura looked at the remaining two Narutos before approaching one and pulling him off to the side. She then looked at Neko and asked, "Um, some music please."

Neko smiled and winked, causing a song to play. Sakura and the Naruto next to her started singing while Haruko and the Naruto with her danced to the beat.

The remaining Naruto chuckled. "Well, this should keep them happy until we get home." he said.

Neko nodded. "**I agree, but there's something you can do to keep me happy."**

Naruto could only look at her before she pounced on him and started making out with him.

xxxxx

The next morning, Haku, disguised as a civilian girl, was busy gathering herbs to treat Zabuza's wounds when he noticed Naruto with snow-white wings and Sakura, Hinata and Ginko in his embrace. His eyes widened when he saw this. 'I never knew he had wings.' he thought to himself before going over to him. "Hey, wake up." he said gently, shaking Naruto's shoulder. "You'll all catch a cold if you sleep here."

Naruto groaned before he slowly opened his eyes. "No we won't. My wings are quite warm." he murmured.

Haku shook his head. "What are you doing out here?"

"I was blowing off some steam, but these three had ice with them." Naruto replied.

Understanding what he meant, Haku nodded. "So what's the answer?" he asked. "After all, no one's around to hear us and the girls are still asleep... aren't they?"

Naruto looked at each of the girls and noticed their rhythmic breathing. "I believe so." he said. "The answer is yes; though Zabuza must prove his loyalty to the village as well as serve some time before he is allowed to be a leaf ninja. You, on the other hand, may be put in the same situation I'll eventually be put in."

"Is that the reason why you are sleeping with three girls?" Haku smirked when Naruto blushed.

"Yes and no. Hinata and Ginko are my girlfriends. Sakura isn't... yet." Naruto replied. "You might be forced into multiple marriages because of your Hyouton bloodline."

"You did say that the Leaf Village didn't hate bloodlines like the Mist Village does." Haku pointed out.

"Yes I did. I just want you to be careful, as some may try to use you to gain power in the village." Naruto warned him.

Haku raised an eyebrow before his eyes narrowed once he understood. "They would force their daughters to marry me so they can obtain whatever power I possess, be it my bloodline or my political status, if I even have one." Naruto nodded, which put a scowl on both their faces.

"Don't worry, you two." Hinata muttered as her eyes fluttered open.

"We won't let that happen." Ginko continued as her eyes opened.

"For they'll have to get past us." Sakura finished as she sat up and stretched.

Haku covered his mouth as he saw Naruto blushed from the girls' actions. "You three must be enjoying yourselves." he said. He couldn't help it. It was too amusing.

The four of them blushed, which caused Haku to break out in laughter. Naruto, Ginko and Sakura glared at the ice user while Hinata frowned.

"That wasn't very nice, Haku." Hinata chided.

"I-I'm sorry." Haku chuckled, trying to reign in his amusement. "I couldn't help myself."

Naruto, Ginko and the two kunoichis shook their heads.

xxxxx

Ten minutes later, as the four twelve-year-olds entered the seaside home, they were immediately confronted by Kakashi and Kurenai.

"Where have you four been? You know you shouldn't have snuck out last night." Kurenai asked them in a stern manner.

"We went to find Naruto. He needed us to set him on the right path." Ginko replied, not fearing the two jounin as they bored into them.

"Leave them alone. This isn't the first time Ginko had to chase after Naruto when he was pissed." Kouen spoke as she and Tsuki entered the room.

"Besides, it's better for him to leave and cool off than to do it here." Tsuki added. "Trust me, he's not very friendly when he's mad. I've seen him beat a drunk chūnin into submission for some snide comment he made towards me."

"I remember that incident." Ginko said with a frown. That incident occurred about a month ago. A drunken chūnin found her, Naruto and Tsuki walking home when he decided to badmouth their friend while hitting on Tsuki. Naruto was so pissed at his words, it took both sisters to calm him down. Tsuki even had to tie up his hands with vines before they left the area.

The two jounin shook their heads. "Anyway, you need to be more careful. Gato's thugs could be patrolling the village and even the forests. If they were to find you, they could've captured you."

Naruto stopped Kakashi's warning before he could continue any further. "They would have to find us first. Remember, I can hide from even the ANBU. Thugs, mercs and unfamiliar rogues can't catch me or the vixens." 'That and I would make sure that they burned for touching my friends.' he mentally added.

Kurenai sighed. "Anyway, it's time for us to go. We have a bridge builder to guard."

xxxxx

Later that day, Hinata and Ginko are sitting in their room, relaxing and chatting. Even though they are trained to kill, which is something neither of them liked, they still take time to relax and be normal adolescent girls for a change. No more worrying about their differences. No more worrying about what their families think of them. And most importantly, they can share secrets that they don't want their boyfriend to know.

"So how was your last date with him?" Ginko asked Hinata.

"It was magical, Ginko." Hinata replied with a dreamy look in her eyes. "We had a picnic lunch at his mother's garden. Afterwards, we danced on the pond. I used the False Surroundings Jutsu to play some music to set the mood and he used the White Lotus Dance to have us surrounded by white lotus pedals. Oh, it was so romantic!" Every now and then, Hinata and Ginko would swap stories on how their dates with Naruto have gone. They've been doing this for about eighteen months now.

"So what about you, Ginko." Now it's Hinata's turn to ask.

"The same thing, except we went dancing in the garden. After that, we took a dip in the pond." The silver vixen giggled as her three tails wagged happily behind her. "He was a little embarrassed about me being close to him while I'm clad in only my bathing suit, but I guess the Christmas party helped him overcome it a little. That and the fact that we ended up making out like that helped him calm down a little."

Hinata giggled. She, too, has made out with Naruto once while they were taking a swim in Kushina's pond. "Maybe we both can make out with him in her pond." she suggested.

"Sure, why not. If we wait a little while, we can get Sakura and Haruko to join us." The two girls blushed a little at the thought of the four of them teasing Naruto.

After their blushes vanished, Hinata looked at the fox-girl and asked, "Ginko, what do you think of Tsuki and Haku?"

"As in them as a couple?" Ginko wondered. When Hinata nodded, the vixen smiled. "Well, I know that Tsuki cares about him very much. She's been a little lonely ever since we left here two years ago. I think she's in love with him, if what Daddy said is true."

"He did say that you and your sisters all have potential mates in mind." Hinata pointed out. "Do you know anything about him... besides the obvious, of course?"

"Nope. Out of the three of us, I've spent the least amount of time with him." Ginko replied. "All I know is that as long as he treats my sister right and not break her heart, I have no problems with him dating her."

_**"Kitten, this Haku boy intrigues me."**__ Neko spoke up. __**"Ask the vixen for his surname."**_

"Ginko, do you know Haku's family name? Lady Neko is curious about him." Hinata asked.

"Come to think of it, I don't know his last name. He told us that he is an orphan, so he might not know what it is." Ginko replied.

Hinata sighed before deciding to ask the boy herself once she saw him again.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, Naruto and Sakura are busy training on the river.

"Ready, Sakura?" Naruto asked her as they stood on the river. He was clad in a pair of red-orange swim trunks while she's clad in a pink two piece bathing suit.

Sakura nodded as their hair and foxtails swayed in the slight wind. She raised her right hand a little and concentrated. Twenty seconds later, a small cyan fireball flickered to life in her palm. It was smaller than her fist, but size didn't matter. "I did it!" she cheered before the flame flickered out.

"No, but you're getting close." Naruto told her before stepping closer. "You have to focus on the flame, Sakura. Don't break that focus or it'll go out."

Sakura nodded as a blush crept onto her face as the distance between them steadily grew shorter.

Suddenly, someone cleared their throat, which brought them back to reality. "Business before pleasure, Naruto." Kurenai said as she stood off to the side.

Naruto blinked until he realized how close he was to Sakura. He took a few steps back and blushed. "Sorry." he said. "Anyway, try it again. But this time, keep your eyes on me."

Both kunoichis raised an eyebrow, but Sakura did so nonetheless. She kept her eyes on Naruto as she focused on creating the cyan flame again. This time, it took thirty seconds for it to flicker to life, but it was slightly bigger this time. A sliver of a smirk slipped on Naruto face as he quickly closed the gap and locked lips with the pink-haired kunoichi. Sakura was wide-eyed, but eventually gave in and kissed back.

Kurenai shook her head, but then gasped when she saw the flame triple in size as the two gennin kissed. Once they pulled away, Kurenai asked Naruto, "What did you do?"

Naruto faced Kurenai with a full blown smirk on his face. "I wanted to test her concentration and it turns out that me kissing her doesn't break it at all. In fact, I think it strengthens it, judging from the size of the flame she's holding."

Sakura looked at the flame with glazed eyes and saw how big it is. "I did this?" she asked no one in particular.

"Only one way to find out." Naruto replied.

Sakura nodded before willing to flame to vanish. Once it did, she tried to make another one. She decided to use the feeling she felt while Naruto kissed her as a catalyst. Sure enough, ten seconds later, the flame returned, but it was the size of a baseball.

"Very good, Sakura. Keep it up and you'll be able to summon foxfire with a mere thought." Naruto praised. Sakura smiled as she sat down and continued to practice summoning the mystical flames.

"As for me..." Naruto trailed off as he picked up a small rock and tried to turn it into a clay bowl using the False Surroundings Jutsu.

While they did this, Kurenai smiled at the two gennin. 'They're progressing quickly for their age.' she thought.

xxxxx

The next morning, Naruto and Sakura were still asleep when the others woke up.

"They've been working hard yesterday, so let's let them sleep in for a bit." Kurenai suggested. The others nodded in agreement.

"Are you sure that's wise?" Tsunami wondered. "Maybe someone should stay with them."

Hinata and the vixens shared a look before forming a huddle. "I'll stay." Tsuki volunteered before shifting into her true form and padding up to her sleeping friends.

"Well, let's get moving then." Kakashi said as Kouen and Ginko shifted forms and hopped on Hinata's shoulders.

xxxxx

Minutes later, the group of six stepped onto the bridge, but saw none of the workers in sight.

"What? Where are they?" Tazuna wondered, trying to find his workers.

"They're gone, obviously." a familiar voice spoke.

Everyone looked around until a mist rolled in. It quickly vanished, revealing a fully healed Zabuza and Haku disguised as a tracker ninja.

Zabuza gazed at the group before raising an eyebrow. "Where's Naruto?"

"He's taking a little nap." was Kakashi's light reply.

Zabuza shook his head. "Sleeping on the job, is he? I thought he didn't do that." he muttered, but then spoke louder. "Don't tell me he's gotten lazy."

"He hasn't gotten lazy." Kakashi replied, not wanting to reveal what Kurenai told him his two students did during training.

"Hmph. Well, it does seem like he has." Zabuza chuckled before asking, "What did your Hokage say? Haku told me that he'll allow us to become leaf shinobi, but I'll have to prove my loyalty first."

"Haku is correct. However, I have a few questions to ask, but we can get to that another time." Kakashi would have continued, but a gruff, ominous voice interrupted him.

"Well, well, well. Look what I've found. A few humans associating with a demon, a cat and a pair of foxes." The mist returned with a vengeance, causing everyone to surround Tazuna.

"It's been a long time, Zabuza." the gruff voice spoke as the mist thickened.

"Yes it has... Kisame." Zabuza replied, causing the jounins' eyes to widen.

'Kisame Hoshigaki, here?' Kakashi thought. 'This is very bad.'

xxxxx

Minutes earlier, Naruto woke up to Sakura sleeping in his arms and Tsuki licking his cheek. The two gennin worked on the False Surroundings Jutsu and Foxfire respectively until they got it. Sakura can now summon it in under five seconds while Naruto can now change an object with only a few visible flaws. Last night, the duo fell asleep together, only to spend their sleeping time inside Naruto's dreams. With Kushina, Hikari and Mikoto watching, Naruto and Sakura spent the entire time relaxing and having a great time. She saw it as a prelude to her future date with her potential boyfriend.

Looking at the dark blue vixen, Naruto scratched behind her ears and smiled as she purred affectionately. "Morning, Tsuki." he greeted.

**"Morning, Naruto."** she purred. **"You two need to get up. The others have left for the bridge a few moments ago."**

Naruto's eyes widened before he motioned for Tsuki to hop off. Once she was on the floor, Naruto turned and gently shook the pinkette.

Sakura moaned as she woke up. "Morning, Naruto." she said sleepily.

Naruto smiled. Sakura can be so cute in the morning. "Morning, Sakura." he said. "We have to get going. The others have left ahead of us."

Instantly, Sakura was up and the two of them quickly got ready. As soon as they were geared up, they heard the sound of someone screaming. 'Tsunami!' the trio thought before they darted out a window.

xxxxx

Outside, a gagged Tsunami was being hauled away by Gato's bodyguards. As they walked, they suddenly tripped, causing them to drop the tied-up woman.

A fierce growling alerted them to the sight of a three-tailed dark blue fox the size of a small horse with an equally growling blond-haired boy and pink-haired girl on its back. Both are sporting fox ears and foxtails, but the girl has one while the boy has three.

"Put her down... NOW!" the girl demanded as her slitted emerald eyes burned with anger.

The two thugs stood up and one of them picked up Tsunami. "Make me." the one holding the woman said with a smirk as he reached up to grope her.

The boy smirked as well before he held out his right arm. As soon as he snapped his fingers, Tsunami appeared in a puff of smoke. She was both untied and holding Inari in her arms.

The thugs looked between the two women in confusion before the tied-up Tsunami suddenly exploded, knocking the two thugs out.

Inari and the real Tsunami stared at the smoke with wide eyes. "What just happened?" she wondered.

"Two words... Exploding Clone." Naruto spoke. "I secretly switched you with a clone I made to look like you. Once I gave the order, the clone would explode, taking out Dumb and Dumber over there." He then got off Tsuki, stripped them of their weapons, money and anything else that was useful before tying them both up in a way that they couldn't untie themselves. "There. They won't be bothering us for awhile." he said. "Tsuki, tie them to a tree in the forest where no one will find them. We'll deal with them later." Tsuki nodded as Sakura got off her back. She hoisted the two men up with her tails and padded off. "Sakura, seal up their gear while my clone escorts these two elsewhere." Sakura nodded before she got to work.

Naruto walked over to the mother and child and created a single shadow clone. "You two need to go to a friend's house and stay there. Until Gato is defeated, it's no longer safe." He then handed Tsunami a pair of sacks he pilfered from the thugs. "Take these with you and keep them hidden. Don't open them until you're alone. Okay?" Tsunami nodded before she, Inari and the clone left.

Tsuki came back after they left and sat down. **"Let's go. Our team is in danger."** she said.

Naruto and Sakura nodded as they got on Tsuki's back. The vixen then stood up and dashed off into the forest.

xxxxx

Back on the bridge, the mist cleared up and everyone got to see the man that is Kisame. He is taller than Zabuza with light blue skin and strange gill-like markings on his neck. His beady black eyes stared at the group like a predator would its prey. He's garbed in a black cloak with red clouds printed on it and a ceremonial straw hat. A strap is all that kept the large bandaged object on his back.

"Kisame, what are you doing here? I never thought we would cross paths again." Zabuza asked.

"Oh, I was in the neighborhood looking for something when I saw you and, I assume he is, your apprentice." Kisame replied, jabbing a thumb at Haku at the end. "But where are my manners? Your young friend seems to not know who I am. What a pity." He sighed before he took off the hat, revealing gravity-defying blue hair. "The name's Kisame Hoshigaki... at your service." He grinned, showing his shark-like teeth.

"I remember you. Like Zabuza, you hail from the Village Hidden in the Mist and you're one of the Seven Swordsmen." Kurenai described. "You're quite the wanted man, Scourge of the Hidden Mist."

"Ah, good times, eh, Zabuza?" Kisame chuckled, obviously amused.

"Yeah, good times." The two swordsmen chuckled as they reminisced. "But still, why are you here?"

"I told you; I'm looking for something. A pair of somethings, actually." Kisame replied. "One of them is on this bridge right now, but where is the other one?"

'The only things on this bridge are us. So what is he looking for?' Kakashi wondered. "What exactly are you looking for?"

"What, you might ask?" Kisame's grin grew a little. "Why, a fox and a cat, of course."

The leaf ninjas' eyes widened, along with the two vixens. 'Naruto...'

'...and me/Hinata.' Hinata and the vixens surmised.

**'We have to warn him.'** Ginko thought before using a jutsu she was taught months ago. **'Mind Link Jutsu.'**

xxxxx

As Naruto, Sakura and Tsuki traveled through the forest to the bridge, Naruto heard a familiar voice inside his head. _**"Naruto!"**_

_"Ginko, what's wrong?" Naruto asked._

_**"Yes, princess. What's the matter?"**__ Kyuubi wondered._

_**"Daddy, Naruto, we have a problem! Someone named Kisame Hoshigaki is on the bridge right now! He's after you and Hinata!"**__ Ginko answered in a panicked voice._

_"Did you say Kisame Hoshigaki?" Tsunade joined in. 'This is bad... and neither I nor Jiraiya are near the Land of Waves either!' "Kyuubi, how soon can your wife get there?"_

_**"About a minute or so if I flare my youki."**__ Kyuubi replied, knowing where she's going with this. __**"She'll be here soon, Ginko. For now, stall for time, but do not engage him."**_

_"I second that." Tsunade added. "Kisame is an S-class rogue ninja suspected of espionage and wanted for the assassination of a Feudal Lord. If Jiraiya or I was there, he'd be dead within minutes."_

_"But you two aren't here, which is why my girlfriend is worried." Naruto pointed out. "Kyuubi, get Ms. Yuki here as soon as you can. If I have too, I'll flare your youki myself."_

_**"Make sure none of the humans are nearby when you do it, kit."**__ Kyuubi told him._

_Naruto nodded before cutting the mental link._ "Tsuki, stop right here."

Tsuki applied the brakes as she landed on the forest floor. **"Why, Naruto? We need to get going."** Tsuki reminded him.

"I know, but I have to do something first." Naruto then got off her back and took several steps away from her and Sakura. The two vixens looked at him in confusion before they saw his body glow crimson.

xxxxx

On the bridge, the ninjas and vixens all felt a powerful energy coming from the forest.

**'Daddy!'** Kouen and Ginko thought, easily recognizing their father's power.

'The seal... is it breaking?' Kakashi and Kurenai wondered and hoped that it is not the case. They were both present when the fox attacked and would recognize his power anywhere.

'Is this the Nine-Tailed Fox's power?' Hinata thought to herself, as she never actually felt his power before.

**'Kyuubi, my friend... be careful.'** Neko thought as her feelings for the fox lord burned as brightly as they did when they were together.

'This power... where is it coming from?' Zabuza and Haku wondered as they felt a shiver run up their spines. They both knew one thing.

Hell is about to break loose on this bridge.

'And there is the other one.' Kisame thought as his grin grew.

xxxxx

Back in the Leaf Village, Yuki looked up from the book she was reading when she felt her mate's demonic power. 'My dearest...'

_**"Yuki, can you hear me?"**__ Kyuubi's voice rang in her head._

_"Kyuubi, my love. What's going on?"_

_**"The kits are in danger. An S-class ninja is after the kit and the kitten. Why, I am not sure. But we'll need your help."**_

_"That explains why you're flaring your power." Yuki closed her eyes and used Kyuubi's youki as a beacon to find him. "Okay, I know where you are. I'll be there as soon as I can."_

_**"Good. There should be a bridge nearby. That's where the action is."**_

'Looks like I get to see my family sooner than I thought.' Yuki thought to herself before quickly gearing up and packing some supplies. Once she was ready, she stood in her room, after locking up the house, bit her thumb and formed a series of hand signs. "Mommy's coming, my kits. Reverse Summoning Jutsu!" she said as she slammed her hand onto the floor. A series of runes appeared on the floor around her before she vanished in a flash of foxfire.

xxxxx

Kisame's grin threatened to split his face as he grabbed the bandaged object on his back. Said object has a yellow sword hilt with a skull pommel. "Well, looks like my wait is over. Now, either hand them over or I'll slaughter you all before taking my prize." he demanded in a calm, gruff voice.

"Kisame, what do you want with a fox?" Zabuza wondered.

"And there aren't any cats on this bridge." Haku added.

"Oh, those foxes aren't what I want." Kisame replied. "You see, there's a very special fox that can masquerade as a human boy. His mate seems to be able to do the same, but she is a cat. So yes, there is a cat on this bridge."

'What is he talking about? Ginko is a fox and Hinata is human.' Kakashi pondered.

'Could he be referring to Hinata?' Kurenai thought as she glanced at her student, who looked both tense and worried.

_"Why does he want us, Lady Neko?" Hinata asked her inner demon._

_**"I don't know, kitten. But whatever he may want, we're not going to find out."**__ Neko replied. __**"Something about him seems familiar, though. Whatever it is, I don't like it."**_

"So what's your decision?" Kisame asked the group. "Either hand them to me or I'll take them by force after I kill you all. I don't care which, but I do prefer the latter."

"How about neither!" said a trio of voices as a trio of large orbs of water was launched at Kisame.

Kisame hefted the large object with one hand and swung it at the orbs, easily destroying them. "So, the last guest finally arrives."

"Yes, and I'm not pleased with what you're demanding, shark." one of the three voices spoke. The voice sounded like a young male.

"You won't harm our friends." another of the voices spoke. This voice sounded like a young female.

**"Not while we're around."** the final voice spoke. This voice also sounded feminine, but also had a demonic tinge to it.

"Now face our wrath!" the trio spoke as one. "Water Barrage Jutsu!" More water orbs flew at Kisame, but from every possible direction.

"Not bad." In a display of sheer skill, Kisame swung the object in his hand and batted all the orbs away without getting even a drop of water on him. "But such a weak jutsu won't hurt me."

"Let's test that theory, then." the female voice stated before exclaiming, "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" A large fireball can be seen flying towards Kisame from the forest.

"We're not done yet, shark bait." the male voice said before shouting, "Wind Style: Whirlwind Fist!" A blast of wind was seen passing through the fireball, doubling its destructive power.

Zabuza, Haku, Tazuna, the leaf ninjas and the vixens moved out of the way of the raging inferno as it headed for Kisame. Kisame, on the other hand, merely scoffed as he hurled the object into the air before flashing through hand signs. "Water Style: Water Shark Bomb Jutsu!" he called out before a shark made of water rose up and crashed into the flames, instantly putting them out.

As he caught the object, he sat it on his shoulder as he stared at the forest with a bored look. "Impressive, but not enough power behind it."

"Maybe this should help." a soft voice spoke behind Kisame before he was struck from behind, causing him to stumble forward. He turned around and swung the object at the person, but nothing was there but a pile of snow.

"Over here." the voice spoke again before Kisame turned around, only to see a woman garbed in a sea-blue kimono with silver trim and a silver obi.

"Yuki?" the leaf jounins spoke, wondering how the woman got here so fast.

"Hello, Kakashi, Kurenai." Yuki waved at them. "I've heard that someone's after my charge and his friend. I cannot nor will not allow someone to take them from where they're needed." She then grabbed her kimono and quickly took it off, causing it and the obi to vanish, revealing a sea-blue battle kimono top and skirt with silver trim, tight black shorts, black fingerless gloves, sea-blue cloth boots with silver trim and a silver sash wrapped around waist. On the back of her kimono top is the kanji for 'Snow Fox'. "Kurenai, watch over the client. Everyone else, let's go." Kurenai nodded as she and Tazuna moved away from the area while still being within viewing range.

Kakashi promptly unsealed Shiroi Kiba while Hinata unsealed Suibi. Naruto and Sakura appeared beside the young kunoichi, Naruto holding Fuukiri and Sakura wielding Kubara and Byakubara. The three vixens appeared in front of them in their larger forms, revealing their multiple tails. Zabuza stood beside Kakashi with the Executioner's Blade in hand while Haku stood beside him with a ninjatō. While it looked normal, the blade is ice blue.

Kisame laughed as he stared them down. "Such a large force for just little old me. I guess my reputation as Scourge of the Hidden Mist has earned me such a great show of force." He laughed again before he suddenly grinned maniacally. "Don't die too quickly!" He then charged and swung the massive object at Yuki, only to find Naruto and Hinata blocking the attack with their katanas.

Hinata may not be as strong as her boyfriend, but she does have some strength behind her. Even with it, she found herself struggling to hold back Kisame's attack. 'Such strength... It's unreal!'

Even Naruto was having a hard time. 'No wonder Tsunade said not to engage him. He damn near broke Fuukiri!' With hardened eyes, he channeled some fire chakra into the blade, but didn't see it ignite. 'What the hell? What's going on?'

"Curious?" Kisame spoke, seeing Naruto's dumbfounded look. "My massive blade, Sharkskin, cuts and devours chakra. Your puny sword can't stand up to it."

**'Puny sword?'** Naruto and Kyuubi thought as one. Naruto was irked that someone would downtalk his sword. _"Kyuubi, let's make him pay."_

_Kyuubi grinned. He's going to get some fun today. __**"Hell yeah!"**_

Next to him, Hinata was also irked, but it was nowhere near as bad as Naruto. Internally, she was worried. Her mother told her something about Kushina, or all Uzumakis to be more precise.

_"Hinata, I need to tell you someting very important." Hikari said to her eldest. "Whatever you do, never insult an Uzumaki's sword."_

_"How come?" Hinata asked._

_"From what Kushina told me, the Uzumaki clan treated their swords as if they were their children. If someone were to insult them, it would severely anger them. Think of what happens when you call an Akimichi fat." Hinata paled, remembering when Chouji sat on someone who did just that. The poor boy was gasping for air after Naruto and Ino calmed their friend down. "Well, the Uzumakis react in a similar way, if not worse. I've seen Kushina cut someone up so bad, he had to be hauled away in a box."_

_"Why are you telling me this?" Hinata wondered, terrified at what the violet-eyed redhead's fury can do._

_"So you can keep your boyfriend under control if this happens." Hikari replied. "Kushina's husband was the only one who could reach her when she gets like that. As Naruto's girlfriend, he'll listen to you if his temper sends him over the edge. But always remember: as long as he loves you, he will never hurt you, no matter how angry he is."_

'Naruto...' Hinata thought as she remembered her mother's warning.

Suddenly, Yuki and the two gennin ducked as Zabuza and Kakashi swung their swords and cut straight through Kisame, but he was discovered to be a water clone.

'That was a water clone and it was that strong?' Naruto thought, astonished that a clone with only one-tenth the creator's abilities could be so strong.

_**"No, he merely switched with a water clone. That was all him."**__ Kyuubi corrected._

"You missed." Kisame spoke as he batted the five of them, but they each turned into water, steam or smoke.

Naruto, Hinata and Yuki appeared by the growling vixens while Zabuza and Kakashi appeared beside Haku. "Well, that was useless. Perhaps what Naruto and Sakura did could work." Kakashi suggested.

The others looked confused until Naruto and Sakura's eyes lit up. Naruto whispered something to both kunoichis before they whispered something to the vixens. The four foxes nodded before Yuki motioned for Haku to come over to her.

Haku obeyed, but was curious until he saw the vixens take their human forms. Like their mother, they each are wearing a kimono with silver trim. Kouen's kimono is midnight blue with a blue obi, Ginko's is sky-blue with a silver obi and Tsuki's is dark blue with a silver obi. They then took their kimono's off, which vanished aling with their obis, revealing their battle garb.

Sakura's jaw dropped as Kouen sported a silver-trimmed midnight blue top that's cut at the midriff with a matching skirt. She's also wearing tight black shorts, black fingerless gloves, midnight blue cloth boots with silver trim and a headband around her neck. The kanji on the headband says 'Flame'.

Hinata blushed as she stared at Ginko. The silver vixen is now wearing a silver-trimmed sky-blue top that's also cut at the midriff with a matching skirt. She's also wearing tight black shorts, black fingerless gloves, sky-blue cloth boots with silver trim and a headband around her neck. Her headband's kanji says 'Silver Fox'.

Haku also blushed as he stared at his girlfriend. Tsuki's now in a silver-trimmed dark blue top that's also cut at the midriff with a matching skirt. She's also wearing tight black shorts, black fingerless gloves, sea-blue cloth boots with silver trim and a headband around her neck. Her headband's kanji says 'Moon'.

Naruto and Yuki shared a look and winked. He was the one who picked out their new outfits several months ago. They wanted something both practical and fashionable. The fashionable part was to catch their enemies off guard with their looks. The kimonos are simply to hide their garb so they can pass as civilians.

As one, the seven-tailed vixen and her three-tailed charge flickered behind Kisame and aimed a kick at his shoulders. Kisame raised his Sharkskin to stop Yuki while he caught Naruto's leg with his free hand. He then threw Naruto aside while swinging the massive weapon at the fox-woman, only for her to turn into water. Naruto, on the other hand, righted himself in midair and skidded to a stop before using the Sword Wave. Kisame blocked the attack with Sharkskin and Naruto scowled as the sword absorbed the attack.

_**"This is bad, kit."**__ Kyuubi stated the obvious._

_"No shit."_

_**"I meant the sword. I recognize that aura."**_

_"What do you mean?"_

_**"That sword, Sharkskin, has the same aura as Isonade, the former King of the Sea."**_

_"Who's that?"_

_**"I'll explain another time. But right now, we'll need something the blade can't handle."**_

_"Which is...?"_

_**"My youki. Only you, my mate and my kits can safely handle it, but only Yuki can withstand it in large amounts."**_

_"That's good to know."_

_**"I'll send you enough to counter Sharkskin's ability to eat chakra, but not enough where my youki would actually be harmful to you or others. Even Neko would have trouble dealing with it."**_

_"Thanks for the warning."_ Naruto closed his eyes as he felt Kyuubi's power rushing through him. However, he needed to get it under control before he can safely use it. That's what the great demon told him when he was teaching him how to use his power.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, Kakashi, Zabuza and Yuki were busy dealing with Kisame while Haku, the kunoichis and the vixens fought his water clones. The two massive blades clashed as Kisame avoided Kakashi's ninjatō and Yuki's kicks, tails and occasional punches.

Zabuza blocked an incoming water shark with the flat of his blade before punching it right in its snout, dispersing it. He then sliced through another one and Kisame, who was revealed to be a water clone. Zabuza growled before forming ten water clones to aid them in taking down his former comrade.

Kakashi and three of his water clones were busy with two of Kisame's water clones, though they don't know if they really are water clones or not, and were losing. Every time he clashed with Kisame, he felt some of his chakra being drained, meaning that Kisame was switching with his clones and is trying to drain them dry of chakra. 'This is bad...' he thought, already feeling the effects due to using his Sharingan to help him dodge the massive weapons.

Yuki, on the other hand, was getting a bit frustrated. She could simply freeze the area, but that would damage the bridge as well as nearly kill the humans. 'I have to get him off this bridge.' she thought before backhanding another water clone. As her name states, she has a fondness for snow and ice. She absolutely loves the cold. As such, she has learned to cool the air around her and even how to freeze water with a mere glance. More than once did her husband call her his beautiful snow maiden before she became pregnant with the triplets.

Thinking of her mate, Yuki failed to notice twenty water clones surrounding her. None of them could actually harm her, so she assumed that Kisame wanted to see if overwhelming her would help. 'It would, but he doesn't have enough clones for it to work.' she mused before clapping her hands together. "Water Style: Water Shockwave!" she cried before water started swirling around her. Then, the water exploded outward, destroying the clones.

xxxxx

Elsewhere on the bridge, Haku and Tsuki are currently slicing through the water clones with relative ease. Since Haku's ninjatō, Touketsuga, can chill whatever it touches, the clones stood no chance when their blades suddenly turned into blocks of ice. With their weapons taken away, they were much easier to defeat.

Haku froze another clone before slicing straight through it like it was butter and Touketsuga was a hot knife. He then channeled some chakra into the blade, causing it to give off a chilling aura. "Gentle Frostbite!" he called out before swinging his sword at three clones. The blade never touched them, but the clones turned into frozen statues before they shattered a second later.

Not too far from him, Tsuki twirled her Nightshade Staff while one of her tails held the Sapphire Moon as she danced around Kisame's water clones. 'They just keep coming!' she thought as she smashed her staff into the face of one clone while one of her free tails threw a ball of foxfire into the back of another. No matter how many she destroyed, more of them kept appearing. "Enough of this. Phantom Blade!" she yelled before swinging her staff at a few clones, sending an arc of youki at them. The youki cut straight through them before vanishing. While the Phantom Blade is strong, it has poor range and fades after a few seconds. She couldn't risk spamming the short-range attack without Kouen nearby to back her up.

Speaking of Kouen, she's with Sakura as they take out water clones as well. Sadly, every clone they destroy, three more take its place.

"How many of these things are there?" Sakura wondered as she stabbed another clone before turning to face another, who brought his zanbatō down upon her. She weaved out of the way before her left foot collided with its face, dispelling it.

"I don't know, but this is getting old." Kouen replied as she sliced through yet another water clone with her Masamune, only to see a few more appear. Her right ear twitched as her temper began to flare. She quickly sheathed her katana before flashing through hand signs, setting her sights on the brunt of the clones. "Incoming! Wind Style: Blazing Winds!" she shouted before exhaling a powerful whirlwind of hot air. The heated funnel plowed through the clones, causing them to explode, but twenty percent of them avoided the attack.

Seeing the amount of steam the jutsu created, Sakura holstered her sais before flowing threw a few hand signs. 'Time for our own army of clones. Steam Clone Jutsu!' she thought as twenty clones formed out of the steam. Redrawing her sais, the twenty-one pink-haired vixens charged back into the fray, using the remaining steam to mask their movements.

Nearby, Hinata twirled Suibi around as she avoided the massive blades of Kisame's clones. They were focusing on both her and Naruto, but he was elsewhere and too far for her to get to without facing heavy resistance. 'At least I know where he is in case he needs me.' she thought as she cut through one of the seven clones surrounding her in a circle. "A little breathing room, please?" she asked before her tail chucked a ball of dark crimson fire at one, roasting it on contact. She then breathed in deeply, leaped into the air and breathed out a tongue of dark crimson flames, evaporating the clones. Once she landed, she dashed over to aid her beloved.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, Naruto is busy with, what he assumed is, the real Kisame. More than once did their blades clash, only to feel some of his chakra and a very small amount of Kyuubi's youki being absorbed into the weapon. His slitted cerulean eyes caught sight of Kisame collapsing into a pool of water before he ducked, narrowly avoiding being hit by Sharkskin. 'I can't keep this up. At this rate, I might be forced to use _them_.' he thought before replacing himself with one of Kisame's clones before it was destroyed.

Kisame chuckled at the boy's attempts to prolong his suffering, but he was having too much fun to stop now. "I'm amused, kid. You're the first your age to survive this long against me." he stated. "However, I have a deadline to keep." He then rushed in, faster than Naruto thought possible, and elbowed the boy in the gut before swinging Sharkskin upwards, sending him flying. Hinata, seeing her boyfriend in trouble, sped up and caught him in midair. As she held him, she saw with her Byakugan that Kisame's sword broke two of his ribs.

Before she could heal him, Kisame was in front of them in a flash. He kicked her in the head, separating her from her boyfriend and their swords. He then kicked the blades aside so that they were out of their reach. "The fun is over. Now, let's get moving." he said to himself, but then he felt a rise in both murderous intent and demonic power.

Kyuubi and Neko, seeing their containers in danger, decided to intervene. Their youki leaked from the kids' bodies and Kisame watched as Naruto's hair became wilder and his whisker marks became more pronounced. Hinata's cheeks also bore whisker marks, though not as thick as Naruto's. Their fingernails even became claws. As the youki swirled around them, their wounds instantly healed. They opened their eyes, revealing the eyes of their sealed demons, as they growled or hissed at the rogue ninja, revealing their fangs.

'So, this is their demons' power...' Kisame mused as he got ready for their eventual assault.

He didn't have to wait long as Naruto roared with unbound fury. His roar shook the entire bridge and caused all the clones to collapse under his might.

xxxxx

As soon as they felt the demonic energy, all the ninjas turned to Naruto and were shocked to see Kyuubi's power leak from his body. But what shocked them more was that Hinata's body is leaking a dark blue energy that is just as demonic as Kyuubi's. Their thoughts ran like this.

'Hinata is like Naruto? Impossible!' Kakashi thought in disbelief.

'How is this possible? Hinata can't be like Naruto, can she?' Kurenai thought, completely worried about her student.

'This power... It's the same as before. No way gennin can put out this much chakra.' Zabuza thought. 'It's even greater than my own!'

'What happened to those two? What is this foul energy?' Haku wondered as he tried to decipher this mystery.

'Naruto... Hinata...' Sakura and the four vixens thought as they stared at their friends and loved ones.

xxxxx

Naruto roared again before he and Hinata charged at the shark man. Kisame swung his sword, only to find Naruto's fist making contact with it. At the point of impact, the demonic boy channeled a massive amount of foxfire into his fist and pushed it outward, blasting the sword out of the rogue's grip. Now unarmed, Kisame had to deal with two demonic-possessed twelve-year-old ninjas as they slashed and clawed at him while keeping him away from his weapon.

Sadly, what they didn't expect was for Sharkskin to move on its own accord and stop in Kisame's hand. "Heh heh. Not bad, kiddies. But you can't separate Sharkskin and I. He'll just simply come back." he chuckled before swinging the zanbatō at them. The duo were struck hard and sent flying.

Naruto looked up as he pulled Hinata to her feet. They both growled at Kisame before Hinata whispered something into Naruto's ear. He grinned and nodded before flashing through hand signs while she took a deep breath. **"Fry, sharky. Fox-Cat Fire Style: ****Hellish ****Inferno!"** Naruto cried before using the Wind Style: Devastation to create a massive blast of wind. As the same time, Hinata breathed out a large amount of dark crimson fire into the winds, increasing their intensity.

Kisame's eyes widened before he placed Sharkskin on his back and clapped his hands together. "Water Style: Exploding Water Shockwave!" he said before spitting out a massive amount of water from his mouth. However, the water wasn't enough as the inferno of darkfire flash-boiled the water, shocking the rogue ninja. With nothing to swap with, he was unable to avoid the inferno before it hit him. Kisame's screams echoed throughout the bridge as he was sent into the sea.

With the amount of power they put into that attack and with the demons' power leaving them, both kids collapsed onto the bridge. The others ran to them while Sakura retrieved their swords.

"Well, what a show they put on." a voice spoke only three people are familiar with. Turning around, everyone saw a short man in a white business suit wearing sunglasses with a cane in his grip and his right hand bandaged. "Zabuza, I am very disappointed in you. I gave you only a simple order: kill Tazuna. But apparently, that was too hard for you. You even have the gall to betray me."

"Don't act so shocked. You never did pay me, so why should I care if the old man lives or not." Zabuza replied. "It's your problem, Gato. You try dealing with it."

"Oh, I am. In fact, I'll deal with him and you along with these leaf ninjas." Gato replied before an army of mercenaries appeared on the bridge. "Men, kill them all, but spare the women. We can have fun with them later."

The armed men chuckled to themselves, but were quickly silenced by Yuki's killing intent. Inside the seal, Kyuubi shook his head, knowing that his mate is going to kill these stupid humans.

"Everyone, give me some room. It's about time this trash is dealt with." Yuki growled as her body chilled the very air around her. It was so cold, it started to snow. Her eyes glowed as her features became more demonic while still retaining her angelic beauty. **"Time to die, foolish mortals! Ice Style: Great Frost Fan!"** she barked as ice formed in her hands. She then shaped the ice into a large fan. Gripping the pole-like handle, she brought it back and then swung it with great force. **"Ice Style: ****Dragon Snowstorm!"** her demonic voice echoed as a giant tornado of snow surrounded her and the group. Inside the twister, all they felt was a gentle, chilling breeze. But on the outside, a massive snowstorm raged as Gato and the mercenaries were completely overwhelmed by the furious blizzard.

Yuki ended the jutsu after a minute, only to see no survivors. All of the mercenaries either fell off the bridge or died from the sub-zero temperatures of her technique. Gato was among those that literally froze to death. "This is why no one should ever piss me off." Yuki said in her usual gentle voice as her Great Frost Fan melted along with the rest of the snow, courtesy of Kouen.

xxxxx

Over a week has passed since the battle on the bridge and everyone has recovered from that ordeal. With Gato's death, the country started to recover, albeit slowly. To help them, Yuki snuck away with Haku and Zabuza and raided Gato's hideout. She convinced them to give the money to the country, but she allowed them to keep a small portion of it, along with herself. Out of the millions they found, only ten percent was divided amongst the trio. The weapons, scrolls and everything else they found useful they claimed as well, but Yuki claimed them as hers due to needing to train her daughters and Naruto. Zabuza relented, not knowing what he would do with such weapons anyway.

Naruto and Hinata woke up after two days while Sakura and Ginko tended to them. The others visited them as well, but usually for a few minutes or so. Once they came to, they had to rest for another day due to their bodies being sore. Hinata explained to Kakashi and Kurenai about Neko and how the demoness is here to help her ex-boyfriend and dear friend, Kyuubi. Neko can leave at anytime and eventually, she can be summoned as well. This shocked the two jounin, but they agreed to keep it a secret for fear of Hinata being seen as a demon or used as either a weapon or breeding stock.

The seven ninjas plus four single-tailed vixens now stood before the completed bridge. As they said their goodbyes, they crossed the bridge and left the island country.

xxxxx

A/N: Man, what a long and hard chapter. Too many times did I have to take a break just to think of how to progress this one. I want to thank Chewie Cookies for his contribution to this chapter. You see, I had a bit of a writer's block on this one and he suggested the scene with Hinata and Ginko talking about Haku and Tsuki's relationship. This also led to the scenes before and after it, which I believe made this chapter even better. Thanks a bunch, Chewie. Anyway, please read and review. All flames shall be given to Kyuubi. He said that he needed them for something. I'm not sure what, but I could've sworn I heard Orochimaru, Danzou and Madara scream.

The bridge battle was one of the hardest fight scenes I've done to date. A headache and a half, I tell ya. But I think I did good. If you think so too or have any opinions on it, please tell me in a review. Also, those who guessed that the man at the end of last chapter was Kisame, give yourself a cookie.

Changes from before: There are many changes I made to this particular point in time. For starters, the original was... well, the original, minus Haku dying. Even Zabuza was dead. I also had Haku stay behind to protect the country. I did this because almost every story where Haku and or Zabuza survived, they came back to the Leaf Village. While that is good, a little originality would be nice. That's the only reason why I left Haku down there.

This time, not only does Zabuza survive, but he's returning with them. Why is he, you might ask? My next chapter will answer that question. Another addition is Kisame. Remember when I mentioned being original? Well, I haven't found a story where the group encountered Kisame on the bridge... well, when he's with Akatsuki, that is. All the stories had him with Zabuza and not with Akatsuki. And no, Naruto doesn't and won't know why Kisame was after him and Hinata just yet. It's too soon and will screw up the next three arcs if he knew now.

Also, Inari's little rant and Naruto's version of knocking some sense into the kid were cut. I didn't feel like doing that scene, and as the author, I decide what I will and will not do. However, even though I didn't do it, that doesn't mean it didn't happen.

Translations:

Touketsuga: Frozen Fang; Haku's ninjatō

Hyouton: Ice Release

Response Corner:

notgonnasay09: I'm glad you enjoy my story so much. Now that you mentioned it, Naruto's elements are similar to Aang's. I haven't noticed until you brought it up. As for your questions. Well, Kushina is pushing for a relationship between Sakura and Naruto, but that's because she can see the feelings she has for her son. This also means that Kushina is aware of the CRA, and while she doesn't like it, she knows that Naruto will have to face it eventually. This is why no one but their friends knows of Naruto's relationships with Hinata and Ginko, and only those two know about his relationship with Neko. The same will apply with Sakura; they'll date in secret so that no one discovers it and either tries to break them up or harm the girls to get to him. As for the CRA, Naruto's keeping his bloodlines hidden so he doesn't have to deal with it. However, he knows that he can't keep them hidden forever.

Fester0662: Well, if you remember a few chapters ago, Hiashi gave Hinata a clan scroll and asked her to study it whenever she's alone. Even though I haven't been showing her as much in this chapter and the last, I wanted her to have a few secrets for later like the others. I won't tell what the scroll contains, but you'll find out soon enough.

Now, since you want to know why Naruto and Kurenai sharing the same bed is awkward, I'll explain it to you. First, Kurenai is both older than Naruto and he doesn't know her as well as Hinata does. Second, she is a beautiful jounin. And thanks to Kushina, Naruto has a hard time dealing with females older than ten, minus Hinata, Sakura, Ino, Tenten and the three young vixens. Finally, Kushina's request for him to sleep with her came out of nowhere with no reason to back it up. This would make him doubt even considering it, let alone actually doing it. Then again, if he didn't, Kushina would keep bugging him about it until he does it.

I hope that was informative.

Important Notice: 4/18/2010: Once again, I am subjected to sheer boredom... and a long wait to spell and grammer check this chapter. As such, I've reread some of the chapters I posted again and have found a few errors that got passed me. So I fixed them and updated those chapters. For this story, they are arc one chapters four through seven and all of arc two except for chapter three. If you want, go ahead and reread them. You may notice the difference.

Here's a preview of the next arc: Naruto and his friends take on the Chūnin Exams. Naruto and Sakura progress in their relationship. Kyuubi and Neko meet an old friend. And a not so friendly face shows up for some chaos.

Later!


	15. Arc 3 Chapter 1

**The Kitsune and the Neko**

"Talking"  
'Thoughts'  
**Inner/Demon/Deity/Dire Beast  
**_Flashback/Mind Link_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N: Bad news everyone. Some time ago, I learned that the line breaks I used to signify a scene change were missing in all my chapters. How or why this happened, I still don't know. So to fix this, I had to edit and repost each chapter using a different set of line breaks.

**Arc 3: The Ch****ū****nin Exams  
Chapter 1: Kitsune meets Tanuki**

In the bedroom of one Tsuki Youko, Haku woke up to the sight of his dark blue vixen asleep in his arms. It's been two months since they've returned from the Land of Waves. As soon as they arrived, a squad of ANBU surrounded them and tried to apprehend Zabuza, but Kakashi stopped them by saying that he's with them. The ANBU nodded before escorting them to the Hokage Tower. Once there, they were debriefed and Zabuza explained why he tried to kill the Mizukage. Apparently, the man started the Bloodline Purge in the Land of Water and used the Seven Swordsmen to carry out his order, resulting in them disbanding. Afterwards, he started a coup d'état, but it failed and he had to flee along with his followers. Later, he found Haku living off the streets and took him in, raising him into a tool. When asked if he saw Haku as anything else, he replied to the negative, but he agreed to becoming the boy's guardian.

After the meeting, Zabuza had to serve three months under ANBU watch to be considered loyal to the village. However, Zabuza requested that he go back to the Land of Waves to assist them in protecting the country while training a militia, so that what Gato did won't happen again. The Hokage agreed, but wanted a few ANBU to accompany him to not only keep an eye on him, but to assist him. Zabuza agreed and even paid for it as a B-ranked mission.

As for Haku, he was tested and awarded the rank of chūnin as well as being granted citizenship. Sadly, the council demanded that he be placed on the Clan Restoration Act and even some of the civilians wanted their daughters to marry him, but Haku heatedly refused, even going as far as freezing the large wooden table in the council chambers. He later talked it over with Tsuki and asked for her opinion. While she knew that Ginko and Hinata got along fine, expecially with Sakura joining Naruto's little harem, she wasn't okay with sharing her boyfriend with someone else. She knew that they would only want him because of his Hyouton bloodline. She didn't want some tramp like that trying to steal her man from her and using him for her own needs. She'd turn her into fertlizer faster than you could say vixen.

After that was over, Tsuki asked her mother if Haku could move in with them. She agreed and Haku found himself staying in Tsuki's room. Since then, the two were happy and growing alongside their friends. Haku was also introduced to Ino and Tenten and found himself becoming friends with Tenten more than with Ino. Ino was a little too flirty for his tastes. Tenten, on the other hand, impressed him with her weapon skills and accuracy. The two became friendly rivals in that aspect and fought to see who was the best.

Hearing Tsuki moan softly jolted him out of his thoughts. He scratched behind her right ear, getting a content purr from his foxy girlfriend as she opened her cerulean eyes and smiled at him. A silent good morning kiss later and the two were up and getting ready, bumping into Naruto and Ginko making out in the hallway just outside their own bedroom door. "Get a room." Tsuki teased.

Naruto and Ginko broke the kiss, only to smirk at the pair. "Why not join us? We know you want to." the two teased right back before resuming their makeout session. Haku and Tsuki blushed, but didn't verbally deny it.

"At least take it outside." Kouen chimed in from her room. "You might need the extra air the way you two are going at it." She was rewarded with the kissing couple blushing while Naruto heard Kyuubi chuckling in his head.

xxxxx

Later, we find the six members of the Shugomori training together. Each of them are practicing something they've recently learn so they can master it.

"You ready, Lee?" Naruto asked his fellow taijutsu partner, Rock Lee. Once, the boy wore white and grey fighter's gi with his leaf headband worn as a... well, headband. Now, he's dressed just like Might Guy, including having the man's bowl-cut hairstyle. Tenten was saddened by this and urged the boy to change back into his old clothes, but Lee refused and embraced the same Flames of Youth that Guy keeps shouting about. Only Naruto is aware of how upset Tenten was at that. While Tenten trusted Kouen more than the other girls, she only told this particular secret to Naruto and no one else.

"Ready, Naruto!" Lee replied in his usual loud, excited voice. They then charged at their intended target... a wooden dummy, and performed a dual flying kick. "Double Dynamic Entry!" they cried before they collided with the dummy, shattering it in one shot.

Nearby, Tenten smiled at the two boys as she admired their strength. 'Now if only I can get Lee out of that damn green spandex...' she mused before recalling when she told Naruto her deepest secret.

_Tenten pulled Naruto by the hand into her room. After shutting her door, she sat on her bed and motioned for him to join her. With a slight blush, Naruto sat beside her and wondered why she wanted to talk to him in her room._

_"Um, Tenten. What did you want to talk about and why in your room?" he asked, keeping his attention on her and nothing else._

_Tenten blushed a little, feeling a bit embarrassed despite herself. "Well, I didn't want anyone else to know so I thought my room would be the best place to tell you since my parents and Tennyo always knock when my door is closed." she explained. "Anyway, I want to talk to you about Lee."_

_"Your teammate?"_

_"Yes."_

_"What about him?"_

_"Well, he's recently turned into a mini Guy-sensei."_

_Naruto paled. One Might Guy was bad enough, but two? "Uh-oh..."_

_"Yeah, my thoughts exactly. Which is why I need your help." she said with a pleading look in her eyes._

_"What can I do? Lee's stubborn; he won't listen to me if it involves fashion. That's Ino's department, not mine." he replied._

_"Naruto, I can't ask Ino. I don't want her to know." Tenten told him._

_"She'll find out eventually; I'm sure of it."_

_"Not that, Naruto."_

_Naruto looked at her and saw something there that made his eyes widen. "You like him, don't you?"_

_Tenten nodded with a brighter blush. "Please don't tell anyone, especially Ino! Not only would she tease me about it, she would tell everyone before I tell Lee myself. Promise me you won't tell!" she begged._

_Naruto sighed before hugging the kunoichi. "I promise, Tenten. I won't tell another soul. But I doubt I can convince Lee to return to his old self before he became Guy Junior."_

That was over seven months ago and Tenten's glad that Naruto kept his word. She knew that Naruto never breaks a promise, as it goes against his sacred code. She only wished he could help her in returning Lee to his old self. 'Well, a girl can't have everything.' she mentally sighed before watching her two male friends spar. She then grinned before looking at the kunai and shuriken scattered about. With a string of hand signs, she thought, 'This should help them out. Ninja Art: Metal Shower.' A few moments later, the ninja tools started to hover before they darted at the two shinobi, who quickly dodged each one before both whipped out kunais to deflect them. A few of them were even cut by Naruto's kunai, which are glowing with chakra.

'Note to self: thank Asuma-sensei for teaching me the Hien.' Naruto thought to himself as he used Asuma's trademark technique. Even though he doesn't want to use trench knives like the Hokage's son, he found that he can use the jutsu with any bladed weapon, which instantly made his ninja tools and katanas even deadlier.

Watching Tenten manipulate the ninja tools are Sakura, Hinata and Ino. All three are giggling as Naruto sliced through them while Lee dodged, parried and deflected them with ease. Even sliced up, the weapons simply reformed and flew at them again.

"Think she's mad at them for their yelling?" Ino wondered.

"Lee maybe, but not Naruto. He wasn't really yelling." Sakura replied.

"Think we should tell her to stop?" Hinata asked.

Sakura and Ino looked at each other while contemplating if they should or not. "Nah..." In the end, they chose not to and went back to training.

Looking at the nearby river, Sakura stepped over to it and formed a hand sign. "Water Clone Jutsu." she whispered as she formed a liquid replica of herself. She has Haku to thank for teaching her this jutsu. While it's similar to the Steam Clone Jutsu, it uses less chakra and is easier to learn. Plus, creating steam clones could cause dehydration if there's no steam in the area, which is why she and Naruto have special canteens that hold five gallons while only being twelve ounces in size. She wouldn't have enough time to take a swig to use the jutsu, so she asked the ice user if he knew and could teach her the Water Clone Jutsu.

Glancing at Hinata, Sakura motioned for her clone to sneak up on her and the clone replied with a grin.

As the water clone snuck up on the Hyuuga heiress, said kunoichi is practicing one of her newest jutsu. "Ready, Ino?" she asked.

Ino, looking as lovely as ever, nodded with a smile. "Ready." she replied before flashing through hand signs. "Wood Style: Vine Constrict Jutsu." In front of her, thick vines sprouted out of the ground and formed a ten-foot pole. Ino stepped out of the way as Hinata swiped her finger at the pole and watched as two inches were trimmed off the top.

'The Wind Sword works like a charm.' Hinata mused. 'Cutting food with this will be a breeze.' She mentally giggled as she pictured herself as an ace chef making one dish after another without using a single knife.

Suddenly, she heard a loud "Boo!" and she screamed while leaping into the air. This caught everyone's attention and several things happened. Tenten lost her concentration, causing her jutsu to end and the ninja tools to fall to the ground. However, Naruto was still nicked by a stray shuriken. Lee almost toppled over, since he was in an awkward position during his dodging. Ino blinked in surprise as she spotted the second Sakura first. As for Sakura, she was giggling behind her hands before she saw Hinata bop her clone on the head while frowning at her.

"That wasn't very nice, Sakura." the heiress scolded. "I was practicing with a wind jutsu. I could've cut someone with it."

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't know you were using a jutsu at the time." Sakura apologized. "But still, seeing you spooked was funny."

"Say that to the one who got injured." Naruto grumbled as he used the Healing Palm Jutsu to heal the cut on his neck.

Tenten shook her head. "Can we wait until after practice to be silly?" she asked no one in particular.

As expected, she never got an answer as they all went back to their training.

xxxxx

After training, Hinata went home and decided to shower and rest before dinner. As soon as she arrived, one of the guards at the gate said, "Lady Hinata, Lord Hiashi wishes to see you."

Hinata nodded and went to see her father. Along the way, she passed Hanabi, who she whispered something into her ear. Earning a smile and a nod, the two sisters parted ways as Hinata went to Hiashi's study. She knocked and only had to wait a few seconds before hearing someone say "Enter." before going inside.

Sitting in front of his desk, Hinata waited for her father to address her. "Hinata, how is your training progressing? And don't leave anything out." he asked after activating a few privacy seals so no one outside the room would hear them.

Hinata nodded and explained every bit of her training, leaving nothing out. Out of the entire clan, only Hanabi, Hiashi, her aunt Naomi and her grandmother Hitome are aware of her dating Naruto and only Hanabi hasn't met him yet nor does she know about Neko. As such, she has to be careful as to what she can and can't say to others until it is safe to speak. When it would be safe to speak is unknown to her. So until her father says otherwise, she's not saying anything to anyone who doesn't already know.

Hiashi nodded as his eldest told him of her progress. He's surprised that she's able to use not one, but two of the mystical flames. Outside of the natural elements, he's heard of five different elements that are classified as 'mystical flames'. The first is foxfire. While it is the coolest of the five as well one of two that can't be blown in streams, it is the easiest to manipulate. The next is dragon fire. It's said to be so hot, it can melt a boulder in seconds. Then, there is the phoenixes' sacred fire. It is also very hot and can turn almost anything into ash in seconds. Also, while it can't be blown in streams, it also has healing properties if used in that fashion. Next is darkfire, the second hottest flame in existence and very difficult to put out. Finally, there is hellfire; said to be so hot, not only can you not put it out, but it can even burn souls. Hellfire can only be used by the Shinigami and his pet Neko, the Queen of the Dead.

Nodding to himself, he said, "Well done, Hinata. You have grown much under Kurenai and Yuki's tutorage. Your mother would be very proud of you."

"You have no idea." she whispered to herself. She never told anyone in her family that she can visit Hikari whenever she sleeps with Naruto. Her mother and Kushina told her not to tell anyone about this so the clan doesn't try to force her to get closer to Naruto. Then again, she can surprise Hanabi when she can bring her over to the Youko residence to meet her boyfriend.

xxxxx

The next day, squad seven walked through the village after completing five more D-rank missions. While Naruto and Sakura are only slightly miffed at doing other people's chores as well as retrieving Tora again, Sasuke was outright upset. He wanted to train and doing these missions didn't help him at all. He has calmed down and his arrogance has toned down considerably, but it's still there and still annoys the young couple to no end whenever he tries to demand secrets from them or when he plays the superiority card.

After returning from the Land of Waves, Naruto took Sakura out to dinner. To everyone else, they were celebrating the completion of a higher ranked mission than D-rank. To them, it was their first date. To keep up appearances, they said that Kakashi couldn't make it, Sasuke was on a mission and both Kurenai and Hinata were busy, so it was just them. That more or less silenced the rumor mill, despite being somewhat dressed up. Of course, Kurenai and Hinata were actually busy... watching their date with Ino, Tenten and the four vixens while Kurenai recorded it so Yugao and Tsunade could see this too, since the female sannin still hasn't come back yet and Yugao was on a mission.

Afterwards, they became official boyfriend and girlfriend, but no one outside of their friends know this. Sayuki is also aware, which prompted her to teach Sakura more of her recipes to wow Naruto during their picnic dates. Sayuki even told her once that the best way to a man's heart is through their stomach, which could apply to Naruto and Chouji given their... um, hearty appetites.

As they walked to the tower, Kakashi heard something and looked up. What he saw was a hawk. 'Is it that time already?' he wondered, understanding its message. Suddenly, he stopped walking. "Why don't you three go and have lunch without me? I'll go turn in the mission reports and make sure you are all paid. Later." He then vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Not like he's giving us a choice." Naruto murmured.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Sasuke walked away from his teammates, not sparing them a glance. Once he was out of sight, Naruto looked at his pink-haired girlfriend with a raised eyebrow. "Well, now that we're alone, let's do lunch. Maybe we can find the others on the way." he suggested.

Sakura smiled at him and nodded. "Sure, why not." she replied. They then started walking, intent on going to the first eatery they can find.

As they were walking, they felt like they were being followed. They both glanced behind them and saw... a cardboard box that's been painted to look like a rock with two holes. Both gennin sweat-dropped before Naruto called out, "Konohamaru, since when are rocks square-shaped? Who do you think you're fooling with that lame disguise?"

"Very perceptive. Just what I would expect from my rival." said a familiar voice from the 'rock'. The 'rock' started to glow and then explodes, revealing three young kids, coughing. Each one has the same pair of goggles that Naruto wore before he became a gennin.

"I think we used too much gunpowder, guys." said a boy with brown hair and brown eyes wearing glasses.

"That's an understatement." Naruto deadpanned. "Konohamaru, Moegi, Udon, what are you three doing here?" A few of his D-rank missions included babysitting detail. Their grandparents asked his squad to baby-sit them while they were in a meeting. The meeting ended up lasting two hours, for some reason, and the young trio were not easy to watch. Konohamaru was once a spoiled brat due to being the Hokage's grandson, but he changed for the better after Naruto set him straight. Moegi was the easiest to handle as she is one of his biggest fans at the academy. The girl even wished to be trained by him. Udon is a rather shy boy with a love for math. He's very bright and does well in Shogi. What the three have in common is that they look up to him and have a habit of finding him to demand some training.

"What else? We want you to train us, boss." replied the girl known as Moegi. She has orange hair, brown eyes and a permanent blush on her cheeks.

Sakura looked at Naruto with a raised eyebrow, who only shrugged. She nodded at him and he nodded back.

"Okay team, fall in!" Naruto commanded. The three young ninja hopefuls lined up in front of Naruto and Sakura. "Okay, here is your training mission." He then made three shadow clones, each standing behind him. "You are to find and catch my clones. They can be anywhere in the village and they will also be disguised. Once you do, I'll know. You will be timed to know if you've progressed or not, so finish as fast as you can." He then snapped his fingers and his clones shimmered out of existence. Naruto's young team were amazed at the speed of his clones. Sakura wasn't because she's seen faster.

After a minute has passed, Naruto gave them the signal and his team took off. Sakura then pulled out a stopwatch so they can time their mission. As they waited, they ran into Ginko, who transformed, hopped into Naruto's arms and got comfortable. Naruto helped her a bit by tickling her. She giggled and squirmed in his arms as he does so. Sakura smiled at this, wishing that she too had a fox form so that she can be tickled by Naruto.

As Sakura kept track of the time and Naruto played with Ginko, they continued their search for a place to eat. After nearly ten minutes, Naruto informed them that they've found one of his clones. Said clone was disguised as a teenage girl in a kimono. He didn't hide the whisker marks to make it fair. If he did, they never would have found it. Five minutes later, another clone was found. This one was disguised as a red-orange cat. Sakura found that weird, but then chalked it up as it being another test for them.

"Well, I had to make it easy enough for them to find them, but not catch them. Both the cat and the girl gave them quite a workout." he told them.

Another five minutes later, they ran into the young team. They were very tired from chasing after the swift clones. So they've decided to take a break. After fifteen minutes, they took off again, but were abruptly stopped when Konohamaru bumped into someone. This person was most likely an outsider. He looked about a year or two older than Naruto and Sakura and is dressed in all black with a black headdress and purple face paint. On his back was something almost as big as he was wrapped up like a mummy, but had a tuft of brown hair sticking out the top. To his right was a girl about a year or two older than him. She has sandy blonde hair done up in four tails and is garbed in a light pink battle kimono with a red sash around her waist and mesh underneath. Behind her was, what looked like, a huge metal fan, though only Naruto and Ginko recognized it. The headband around her neck bore an hourglass symbol.

"Do you need something?" the boy in black asked.

"Konohamaru!" Udon shouted as they saw the boy dressed in black pick his friend up by his scarf.

"So does this hurt, punk?" the face-painted boy said as Konohamaru struggled to get out of his grip.

"Put him down, Kankuro, or you'll pay for it later." the girl said.

"You better take your hands off him right now!" Sakura yelled to the foreign ninja.

The boy dressed in black, known as Kankuro, smirked. 'So these are the Leaf Village's gennin...' he thought to himself. "We've got a few minutes before he get here. Let's mess with these punks." he said.

Konohamaru continued to struggle out of his grip. "Let go of me, you jerk." he said as he began kicking him. His kicks, however, didn't do much at all.

"You're feisty, but not for long." said Kankuro as he tighten his grip on the young Sarutobi.

Naruto growled at Kankuro before aiming his index finger at him. "It would be wise for you to put him down. You don't want to start trouble, do you?" he suggested, though it sounded more like a demand than a suggestion.

"It's not like you can do anything." Kankuro replied, not phased by the kid's hidden threat. Then, a soft bang was heard and Kankuro felt something very hot hit his hand, forcing him to drop the kid.

After Konohamaru ran back to his friends, the foreigners heard, "Care to rephrase that, desert rat?" They both looked at Naruto and saw his outstretched finger smoking. "I don't like it when people pick on my friends. So unless you're looking for trouble, knock it off." He pushed his point further with a 'little' killing intent... just enough to make him sweat.

True enough, Kankuro started to sweat a bit. He knew only one person with an urge to kill this strong. 'Never though there would be someone like _him_ here.'

'Well, well. Local hotty.' the foreign girl thought to herself. After taking in his appearance, she admitted to him being quite handsome. And with the amount if killing intent he's producing, he's also quite strong. 'Still, he won't survive against _him_. Maybe I can ask him to spare the blond... Nah, he wouldn't do that.'

Noticing the look in the kunoichi's eyes, Kankuro immediately got pissed. He then slung the wrapped up object off his back and placed it next to him.

"What are you doing! You can't use the Crow here!" the kunoichi exclaimed.

"This kid has pissed me off, Temari! Stay out of this!" Kankuro replied.

"Kankuro, knock it off." said a monotone voice, which startled the two foreign ninjas. Everyone now looked at the new person, who was hanging upside-down on a nearby tree branch. He is around Naruto and Sakura's age with spiky red hair and green eyes. He's wearing a dark brown shirt and pants, a mesh shirt, a white sash around his waist that is tied to a huge gourd on his back and black ninja sandals. His also has black rings around his eyes and a red kanji tattoo on his forehead, above his right eye.

"Uh, heh heh... Hey, Gaara." said Kankuro, looking very nervous at the redheaded boy.

'How did he get up there without making a sound? Only myself and elite jounin are that smooth.' Naruto mused as he examined the boy.

"You're an embarrassment to our village. Have you forgotten the reason we came all the way here?" the gourd carrying ninja asked.

"I know. I-I mean, they challenged us. They started the whole thing, really. See, here's what happened-" Kankuro began to explain, but was interrupted by Gaara.

"Shut up, or I'll kill you." he said coldly. Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon are now very scared of Gaara.

"R-Right, I was totally out of line. I'm sorry, Gaara. I was totally out of line." said Kankuro.

"I'm sorry for any trouble he caused." said Gaara as he looked at the six on the ground.

'This guy has an evil look in his eye.' thought Sakura as she, Ginko and Naruto locked eyes with Gaara.

'He stopped Kankuro with a small fireball and made it look easy. This guy's someone to keep an eye on.' thought Gaara as his gaze was aimed at Naruto.

'This scent... Why does this guy have this scent? And why does he possess two souls? It's almost like he's just like Naruto and Hinata.' thought Ginko. She was getting nervous, something Naruto picked up on due to her still being in his arms.

'Ginko's getting nervous about something. It's almost like she's scared out of her wits. That has never happened before; not even against Kisame. Could this guy have scared her this bad?' Naruto thought as he watched the vixen begin to shake in his arms. He's never seen her like this before and wondered what could have triggered it.

Gaara then descended from the tree in a whirlwind of sand, landing between the two groups. "Let's go. We didn't come here to play games." he said as he faced Temari and Kankuro.

"Alright, sure. I get it." said Kankuro before they turned and walked away.

"Hold on." said Sakura as they walked off. "Hey!"

"What?" said Temari, turning around.

"I can tell from your headband that you come from the Village Hidden in the Sand." Sakura stated the obvious. "Of course, the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind are allies, but no shinobi can enter another's village without permission. So state your purpose, and it better be good."

Naruto mentally sighed. 'Why are you acting so high and mighty, Sakura? That's Sasuke gimmick, not yours.'

"Really, have you two been living under a rock or what? You don't know what's going on, do you?" the foreign kunoichi said as she held up her ID. "We have permission. Of course, you're correct. We are Hidden Sand gennin, our home is the Land of the Wind, and we're here for the Chūnin Exams. Get the picture?"

'The Chūnin Exams, this soon? How come nobody told me?' thought Naruto. "I see... That explains why you're here. Figured it would be for the Chūnin Exams. But first, do you mind introducing yourselves?"

"Hmm, you mean me?" Temari asked, pointing to herself.

"Not just you, but all three of you." Naruto replied.

The girl smiled. "Well, I'm Temari of the Desert."

"Kankuro of the Desert, brat."

"And I am Gaara of the Desert. I'm curious about you too. Who are you?"

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki."

Both Naruto and Gaara stared each other down. Sakura looked between both boys a little worried. The intensity she was receiving from Gaara is not to her liking.

_"Hey, Kyuubi. Did you sense anything familiar about them?" Naruto asked the demon fox._

_**"Of course, kit. I'll fill you in later."**__ Kyuubi replied as he watched the sand gennin leave from Naruto's eyes._

xxxxx

Watching the leaf and sand gennin in a nearby tree are three others. Their headbands bore a musical note.

"What do you think, Dosu?" asked one of the two males.

"The usual weaklings, nothing special. But the one with the fox and that desert rat... We should watch them... carefully." said the one called Dosu.

xxxxx

A/N: And cut! That's a wrap for this chapter. Mostly a filler, but the title says it all. Naruto and Gaara finally cross paths. What will happen next? Until next time, please read and review.

Changes from before: This chapter features a few changes I made that comes from the original chapters nine and ten. First, I removed Hinata's sleepover with Naruto and replaced it with Haku staying with Tsuki. Second, I removed the two scenes where Hinata and Naruto are training. Instead, I included the scene that features a new jutsu that each of the Shugomori has learned during the two months that followed the Wave mission. Another thing I changed is Naruto and Sakura's encounter with the Konohamaru Corps and the sand gennin. I basically took the old scene and spruced it up, making it a bit better. I also edited Naruto and Kankuro's little scuffle to better fit this story's Naruto and not the canon Naruto.

Another thing I changed was the pairing I had set up for Tenten. During my first run, I didn't know who to pair her with. It would've been either Neji or Lee. In the original, I decided on Neji. I don't know why I chose Lee for this one, but I believe it is still a good pairing nonetheless. I mean, the girl does have it bad for both of them despite their quirks.

And yes, there is a reason why Ginko is nervous around Gaara. You'll find out why next time.

Translation:

Hien: Flying Swallow

Response Corner:

notgonnasay09: And once again, another brilliant review. Yes, with the way that battle ended, one must wonder about Kisame's fate. But I doubt I could've achieved such an ending had I included more of Sharkskin's abilities. Remember, this is still very early in the story and those abilities showed up much, much later on. And while I was well aware of those abilities beforee I even started the chapter, I chose not to include them or even mention them. If I remember correctly, some of those abilities were shown because Kisame was forced to use them. In that battle, only Yuki going all out would force him to use them... but she only would've gone all out if she got him off the bridge to avoid damaging it as well as nearly killing the humans, her charge and his girlfriends included.

LazyBumOfTheDesert: Yes, well... great chapters like that take time to write up... or type up I should say.

DragonPrincessx3: You know what, I don't know. I recall someone mentioning that the Nine-Tailed Fox and the Two-Tailed Cat gave birth to the Seven-Tailed Wolf. I don't know if it's true or not or if that is what was said. It was several months ago. And if it's true, how have a fox and a cat give birth to a wolf?

And actually, it has been a harem since the middle of the first arc. It just took them growing up to realize it.

catmasta: Well, I'm glad my story made your day better.

Important Update: 2/27/2011: While I was editing the chapters to change the line breaks, I've also decided to do some updating as well. For this story, I have either changed or corrected several things. First, I've corrected a few translation errors best seen at the end of arc one chapters one and seven and arc two chapter five. Second, I've changed the required elements needed to use steel style ninjutsu to they truly are, which are earth and lightning. Also, the letter Kushina wrote to Tenten in arc one chapter seven was changed a little because of it. Third, I've changed Kushina's and Neko's appearances. Instead of red markings and a crimson kimono, Neko now has blue markings and a cerulean kimono. Also, her title is now Nibi no Bakeneko. As for Kushina, she now matches her actual appearance, since I didn't know at the time except for her hair and eyes. Other than that, I was more or less guessing. Fourth, I did some changes to some of the words to be more accurate. Fifth, I've corrected some of the characters' ages that I got wrong. One is Ayame, who I had marked as fifteen when she was actually seventeen at that point. Finally, I was lacking in terms of pre-canon history, mainly surrounding the Great Ninja Wars. I've managed to fix all known errors thus far and will try to keep pre-canon history as accurate as possible.

Next Time: Naruto learns a shocking truth. Ginko's hidden secret revealed.

Later!


	16. Arc 3 Chapter 2

**The Kitsune and the Neko**

"Talking"  
'Thoughts'  
**Inner/Demon/Deity/Dire Beast  
**_Flashback/Mind Link_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Arc 3: The Ch****ū****nin Exams  
Chapter 2: Secrets II**

In a meeting of various chūnin and jounin, Hiruzen Sarutobi and several others are discussing the Chūnin Exams.

"Alright, it is time we chose our candidates for the Chūnin Examinations." Sarutobi began. "To begin, will those in charge of the rookie gennin step forward."

Kakashi, Kurenai and Asuma stepped forward together.

"Kakashi, Kurenai and Asuma, what do you say? Are there any on your squads that you recommend that are ready for the exams, despite their inexperience? As you know, any gennin that has carried out eight or more missions are technically eligible for the examinations. Beyond that, only you can decide when they are ready." Sarutobi explained. "Of course, most gennin require a much longer training period, at least twice that many missions."

'There's no need to say all this. It's way too soon for their squads.' Iruka thought as he listened to Sarutobi's explanation.

"So Kakashi, you begin." Sarutobi said.

"I lead squad seven; Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha. I, Kakashi Hatake, recommend all three of these gennin for the Chūnin Selection Exams." he stated.

Iruka gasped.

"And my squad is number eight; Hinata Hyuuga, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame. And now I, Kurenai Yuuhi, recommend all three." she said.

"And my squad is number ten; Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, Chouji Akimichi. And now I, Asuma Sarutobi, recommend all three." he said.

Behind the three jounin are those speaking to themselves and others, mainly concerning the nine rookies being entered.

"Hold on just a minute!" said Iruka.

"Yes, what is it, Iruka?" asked Sarutobi. Kakashi, Kurenai and Asuma looked at the chūnin, as did everyone else.

"Lord Hokage, with all respect. The nine names that were just given were all my students at the academy. I know their skills and abilities. Everyone of them has great promise, but it's too soon. They need more experience before they are tested. If they try now, they're sure to fail the exam." he explained, a hint of worry in his voice.

"When I became a chūnin, I was six years younger than Naruto is now." Kakashi stated.

"Naruto is nothing like you!" Iruka yelled angrily. He then stepped towards the silver-haired jounin and continued. "Are you trying to destroy him?"

"Well, they're always complaining about not being challenged enough. Maybe wiping out on the exams will teach them a lesson: a little pain is good." Kakashi said coolly.

Iruka stammered a bit with his words. "W-What did you say?"

"Ah, nothing fatal, of course. But seriously Iruka, relax." Iruka doesn't accept Kakashi's words. "Listen, I understand how you feel. It's very personal for you and it upsets you, but-"

"Alright Kakashi, back off. You've said enough." interrupted Kurenai.

"On the contrary, Kurenai. Iruka needs to hear this. He needs to realize that they're not his students anymore, they're mine." Kakashi said with seriousness.

Asuma inwardly sighed. 'Enough already.' Kurenai also sighed inwardly.

"But these exams could destroy them, you know that." the chūnin exclaimed, but was interrupted by Sarutobi calling his name.

"You have made your point. I understand."

"Lord Hokage?"

"Accordingly, I have decided that the best thing to do is to hold a special preliminary test." said the Hokage.

"Pre-preliminary test?" Iruka asked.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, Naruto and Ginko sat in Kushina's garden, meditating in order to visit Kyuubi. They have questions that only he can answer.

As they entered the glade where the great fox king resided, Naruto snapped his fingers and summoned a recliner. He sat in it and pulled Ginko onto his lap, to which the vixen made herself comfortable by crossing her legs. "Daddy, we need to speak with you." she called out.

Almost immediately, Kyuubi arrived in a flash of foxfire. **"Yes, princess? What is it?"** he asked.

"We have some questions only you can answer." Ginko responded.

Raising an eyebrow, Kyuubi waved a tail and summoned his throne. After taking his seat, Kyuubi motioned for them to begin.

"First, why was Ginko nervous around Gaara?" Naruto wondered.

Ginko frowned, but answered his question anyway. "There was something about him. He reminded me of you and Hinata. I don't know what, but I just feel so nervous around him."

**"I'm not really surprised, considering he contains Shukaku."** Kyuubi added, startling the others. **"To be honest, I haven't seen Shukaku in a long time. While not the most stable-minded, due to him being a drunkard, he is one of the toughest due to his body being composed of only sand. I heard a rumor that he vanished about one hundred years ago, which is when I last saw him."**

"How do you know him?" Naruto asked.

**"He is one of the Kyuu no Bijuu, remember? We tend to meet every decade or so to keep track of current and past events in our respective territories. This is so we can stop you humans from killing each other."** Kyuubi replied. **"Each of us are guardians of our respective territories, but we weren't like this originally."**

"What do you mean?" Ginko wondered.

**"That is for another time as the kit is not ready to hear it."** Kyuubi told her. **"Now, Shukaku and I are both rivals and best friends. When he wasn't trying to kill those who tried to control him, he and I were pulling pranks and causing all sorts of mischief, especially when we're drunk. You see, kitsunes and tanukis are both shape-shifters and love to cause mischief. Shukaku and I can cause so much mischief in so little time, it'll make your head spin thinking about it."**

Ginko and Naruto's eyebrows shot up. "You were a prankster?" Ginko asked her father.

**"Not just me, but Yuki as well."** he replied. **"When she was young, she loved causing mischief. Of course, only her love of children, ice and snow surpassed it, and later me. If I wasn't causing mischief with Shukaku, then I was causing mischief with my little snow maiden."**

"Um, why exactly is Shukaku sealed in Gaara?" Ginko asked, changing the subject.

**"How should I know? I wasn't there when he vanished and only knew because he didn't show up during our meeting one hundred years ago."** Kyuubi wasn't happy about his best friend, rival and pranking partner being sealed like he is. He needed to find out what happened, but who could he ask?

"So how does this explain why Ginko is nervous around Gaara?" Naruto wondered.

**"Because all demons fear the Bijuu regardless if they are sealed or not. The only reason she doesn't fear me or Neko is because she has my blood in her veins and Neko's love for me still exists within her heart."** Kyuubi answered.

"Does that count for Isonade too?" Naruto queried, remembering the demonic sword and how it can drain someone's chakra.

**"That, too, is a story for another time. But to answer your question, Isonade is one of the few demons who does not fear the Bijuu."** was Kyuubi's answer. **'Of course, there is a reason why he didn't fear us, but I can't tell him now.'** he added to himself. **'If Kushina would just tell him already, we can get him prepared for the coming storm.'**

xxxxx

Later, in the hidden cellar of the Youko home, Naruto and Ginko can be seen swimming in the pool.

"Hey, Naruto. Can you show me that whirlpool jutsu?" Ginko asked her boyfriend.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to see it?" her asked her.

"Oh, you'll see." she replied coyly.

Naruto raised his other eyebrow before rising out of the water, along with the silver vixen. He then placed his hands onto the surface and called out, "Whirlpool Prison Jutsu."

Suddenly, Ginko felt herself being pulled downward. Looking down, she saw a small whirlpool swirling around her. She tried to lift her legs, but the jutsu was too strong for her to succeed.

"Is this what you wanted?" Naruto asked as Ginko was pulled down to her knees.

"Yes, now end it! Please?" she pleaded. She knew he wouldn't pull her underwater, but she doesn't know if he actually will.

Once Ginko sunk to her waist, Naruto willed the jutsu to hold her in place. He then crawled over to her and kissed her on the lips. "Ginko, you know I would never hurt you. You mean too much to me." he said to her.

Ginko pouted. "Meanie!" She turned away from him, but found her lips covered by his again. This time, she felt the whirlpool's grip on her vanish as he pulled her up. She returned the kiss while wrapping her arms around his neck. She was enjoying herself so much that she failed to notice that she was no longer standing on the water.

Once she pulled away from him, she stared into his dazzling blue eyes, but then noticed movement behind him. Glancing down, she saw that they were above the pool thanks to Naruto's angel-like wings. "Enjoying the view?" she heard him say.

"Not really. It would be so much better if we were outside." she replied before leaning into him.

"True, but I have to keep my wings hidden for now." Naruto reminded her. "Once Tsunade comes home, I can show them to the village. Until then, I can't use them unless I really have to."

"Well, maybe I can show you something I just learned." Ginko smirked. Her boyfriend is going to love this.

"Oh? And what would that be?" he wondered.

"Take me to the dojo and I'll show you." she requested before situating herself where he's holding her bridal style.

Kissing his vixen once more, Naruto flew over to the dojo and spotted Yuki and Haku training. "What are you two up to?" Yuki asked, wondering why they're out of the pool.

"Ginko wants to show me a new jutsu." Naruto replied as he touched down.

"Well, go right ahead. I'd like to see this." Haku said as he and Yuki stepped aside.

Once Ginko was on the ground, she smirked before glancing at Naruto. Suddenly, Naruto felt himself being pulled into the ground. Looking down, he had a feeling of déjà vu as he saw sand swirling around his feet. Spreading his wings, he leaped out of the whirlpool that could rival the power of his clan's Whirlpool Prison Jutsu.

"Didn't see that coming, did you?" Looking at his girlfriend, Naruto saw Ginko's amused smirk as the whirlpool of sand stopped moving.

"H-How did you do that?" Haku asked the silver fox-girl. He has never seen nor heard anything like what he just witnessed.

"Oh, that? My sisters and I each can control three elements. That is one of mine." Ginko answered the shocked ice master. "I've never had any use for it in battle before, so hardly anyone even knows about it. Only Naruto and my family are aware of this talent of mine."

"Amazing." Haku was still in awe of the silver vixen's use of sand. "So what do you call it? The jutsu you displayed, I mean."

"That's my Sand Whirlpool." was her answer.

'Probably based on the Whirlpool Prison Jutsu. It certainly looks like it.' Naruto figured.

xxxxx

Days later, Naruto and Tsuki met Sakura on their way to the Ninja Academy. A week ago, Kakashi told them about the Chūnin Exams and that he have recommended them for it. After getting their entry forms, they each went their separate ways to prepare. Since the scarecrow said that he could only take one of his familiars with him, Yuki recommended Tsuki. Ginko wanted to go, but Yuki wanted her to train in her sand element some more. Kouen didn't feel like going, even though she would if asked, and Yuki has to stay home to watch the house. So until the exams start, Naruto and Tsuki trained exclusively together. They managed to refine their teamwork and even came up with a new jutsu. Of course, they haven't finished it, but its power is close to one of Naruto's best personal jutsu.

Giving Sakura a hug, the three of them waited for Sasuke to show up, Tsuki perched on Naruto's shoulder. Minutes later, Sasuke showed up and they all entered the academy. Moving up to the second floor, they spotted a commotion. Catching the scent of his weapon-loving friend, Naruto motioned for his team not to head over there and to just ignore them.

Once on the third floor, Sasuke asked the obvious question. "Why did you have us ignore them?"

"I have my reasons." was all Naruto said. In truth, he was wondering why so many gennin were gathered in front of room 201 when they needed to head to room 301. When he saw Tenten there, he knew that something was up and that he must ignore it altogether, less someone create a mess for them to deal with.

Shaking his thoughts, he followed Sakura as they head to the classroom. Once they arrived, they saw Kakashi standing in front of the double doors. "Um, is something wrong?" Naruto asked.

"No, but there is something I must tell you." Kakashi replied.

"Which is?" Sasuke wondered.

"That you passed the test." Kakashi eye-smiled.

"Test?" Sakura blinked.

"You see, I purposely left out a key detail about the Chūnin Exams." said Kakashi. Tsuki narrowed her eyes at him. "As you know, I told you that participation is completely voluntary. What I didn't mention is that only teams of three can enter the Chūnin Exams."

"You wanted us to decided on our own without pressuring or being pressured by the others." Sasuke surmised.

"Exactly. I don't want any of you to be forced into a decision by your teammates. These exams can be very dangerous. I wanted to make sure that if you enter, you all agreed and weren't forced into entering by one of the others." Kakashi explained. "But since the three of you-" Naruto cleared his throat. "Excuse me; four of you, chose to enter on your own, that doesn't matter anymore." the jounin corrected. "All I have left to say is good luck and show them what you can do." Then, Kakashi stepped aside.

The three gennin and lone vixen nodded before they entered the next chapter of their shinobi lives: the Chūnin Exams.

xxxxx

Elsewhere, a figure watched squad seven enter room 301 with a smile on their face. **"The time is drawing near. He who was blessed by me shall need our aid for what's to come."** the figure spoke. Then, another figure showed up. **"Choose the one that fits him the best and have them ready to depart at a moment's notice, along with yourself. You have one hour to make your choice."**

**"Yes, milady."** bowed the second figure before leaving the room.

The first figure returned her gaze to the crystal ball in front of her. **'Soon, everything will return to what it should be. But for now, I must be patient. If I rush this, I will only put him in danger. He would never forgive me if I did that.'**

xxxxx

As squad seven entered the exam room, they saw many other shinobi glaring daggers at them. This alone made Sakura a little nervous, but she quickly shook it off, knowing that her boyfriend is right beside her. Soon after they've entered, though, a familiar voice catches their attention.

"Intimidating, huh?" Ino asked the squad as she walked up and gave Naruto and Sakura a hug.

Naruto and Sakura looked at her and blinked. "Nah, I've seen worse." he replied before pulling both kunoichis aside and sitting against the wall.

"What are you doing?" Shikamaru asked lazily as he and Chouji walked up to them.

"Taking a nap. Care to join us?" was all he said before the trio closed their eyes, along with Tsuki. Shikamaru shrugged before he sat next to Ino and closed his eyes.

"Hey Naruto, where's Kouen and Ginko? Aren't they usually with you?" Chouji asked. Hardly ever does he see the three vixens apart unless they were training. For this, he figured they would stick together like glue.

"I'm curious about that myself." Shino added as squad eight walked up to them.

"Apparently, I'm not allowed to take all three of them with me to these exams. I chose Tsuki because Kouen didn't feel like coming and Ginko had something else to do." Naruto replied without opening his eyes. He smiled when Hinata sat on his lap and closed her eyes, following her friends' example.

"Well, looks like all of us are here." Kiba stated, though he was quite irked that Naruto has Hinata on his lap. "But come on. Are you going to sleep through this whole thing or what?"

"I'll take 'sleep through this' if it lets us pass." Shikamaru replied just before he yawned.

Kiba sweat-dropped. "Well, if that's how you'll be, we're going to blow you guys away!"

"Keep barking, pup... but could you do it a little quieter? Some of us are trying to sleep." Naruto mumbled loud enough for him to hear.

Before Kiba could retort, someone called out to them. "Hey, you guys. You might wanna try keeping it down a little." The person turned out to be a silver-haired teen with glasses. "I mean, no offense, but you're the nine rookies, right? Fresh out of the academy?" Then, his tone of voice went from calm to serious. "I wouldn't go making a spectacle of yourselves. Just cool it; this isn't a class field trip."

Ino opened her eyes, a little upset that her nap was interrupted. "Um, who are you?"

"I'm Kabuto Yakushi. But really, look around you. You've made quite an impression." he replied. The nine leaf gennin looked around and saw their competition glaring at them. "You see those guys?" he continued as they looked at another group of gennin. Their headbands bore five vertical lines. "They're from the Rain Village. Very touchy; they all are. This exam makes everyone tense, and you don't want to rub them the wrong way right now."

'Oh geeze.' Naruto deadpanned, clearly not enjoying the glares, which were actually worse than the ones he got from the villagers.

"I mean, you can't help it. How can you know how things work? You're just rookies. You remind me of myself a while back." Kabuto added.

'It's official, I don't like this guy.' thought Naruto, trying to suppress the urge to shove his foot right up Kabuto's ass.

"Kabuto, is that your name?" Sakura asked, preventing her boyfriend from following through with whatever violent thoughts he has in his head.

"Yeah." he replied to her.

"This isn't the first time you've taken the exam?" she asked him.

"No, it's... my seventh." he answered hesitantly. Shikamaru looked at him dumbfounded. "Well, they're held twice a year, so this would be my fourth year." he added.

"Wow, a veteran. You must really be an expert by now." Sakura commented, feigning interest.

"Yeah, sort of." Kabuto said, shrugging like it wasn't a big deal.

"Yeah, some expert. He's never passed." said Shikamaru.

"Well, seventh time's the charm. That's what they say, huh?" Kabuto said a little sheepish while scratching the back of his head. This caused the nine rookies and Tsuki to sweat-drop.

"So all those rumors about the exam being tough are true. Oh man, I knew this was gonna be a drag." complained the cloud watcher.

"You mean you actually thought this exam would be easy?" Naruto asked his friend, looking a little shocked. "I ought to kick your ass for that thought, but I don't feel like getting up."

"Well, since we're fellow leaf shinobi, maybe I can help you guys out..." said Kabuto, pulling out a deck of cards. "with my ninja info cards."

He kneeled down and sat the deck on the floor. He set a card down and, with one finger, spun it around. A second and a puff of smoke later, a three-dimensional map of the elemental lands appeared. Several square columns of various sizes and colors were seen at different points of the map. "See, this is the percentage of ninja that are sent from each hidden village for the Chūnin Exams. As you can see, the Leaf Village sends way more than the others." said Kabuto.

"Do those cards of yours show detailed information on, say, a particular gennin?" Sasuke asked the teen.

Naruto and his friends looked at the Uchiha and wondered, 'What are you planning, Sasuke?'

"It may not be complete, but I have some information on our competition, including you guys." Kabuto replied.

**'Is that so?'** Tsuki mused, her curiosity piqued.

"Then can you give me some of that information?" Sasuke asked.

"Sure." Kabuto replied. "On whom?"

"Gaara of the Desert and Tenten of the Leaf." was Sasuke's response.

"Ah, you even know their names. That's no fun." Kabuto fake-whined. He then swept his hand across the deck, pulling out two cards with that swipe. He sat one on top of the card already on the floor and spun it on his finger. A second later, detailed information on Tenten was seen. "Okay, let's start with Tenten. She's a year older than you and this is her first appearance at the Chūnin Exams, like you guys. Tenten is extremely skilled in all types of weapons and ninja tools and can even hit a bullseye without even looking. Her ninjutsu and taijutsu are above average while her genjutsu is roughly average. She's completed twenty D-rank missions and twelve C-ranks. Her instructor is Might Guy and her teammates are Neji Hyuuga and Rock Lee."

As Kabuto explained all of this, Sasuke was listening intently. The others also listened, a frown visible on both Naruto's and Tsuki's faces. Tsuki gazed at the cards and easily picked up the scent of chakra on them. **'You want to play, huh? Well, I can play that game too.'** she thought as she waited to put her plan into action.

"Next up is Gaara." said Kabuto as he revealed Gaara's information. "He hails from the Village Hidden in the Sand and this is also his first time at the Chūnin Exams. He's completed eight C-rank missions and... get this, one B-rank. Not much on him, since he's from another country. But I can tell you a rumor I've heard. They say that he's completed all his missions without getting a single scratch on him."

Sasuke's eyes widened. 'Without getting a single scratch? No one is that good!'

_**"I'm not surprised by that. It's hard for even me just to scratch Shukaku."**__ Kyuubi informed his container._

"Well, considering the amount of gennin here, there's sure to be plenty of competition." said Kabuto. "Leaf, Sand, Grass, Rain and Waterfall. Each one sent their best gennin this time around. There's also another called the Hidden Sound Village. It's fairly new, so I don't have any info on them. My advice is to avoid them. They may not look like much, but they could be very dangerous."

Unbeknownst to them, three gennin were approaching the group with such stealth that they couldn't be detected. Once they've gotten within striking range, one of them, that has some kind of metal object attached to his right forearm, threw a punch toward Kabuto. Naruto saw the attack out of the corner of his eye, but decided not to intercept it. While he could easily kill the attacker, he saw no reason to.

Seeing the attack as well, Kabuto leaned back to avoid the fist. But after it passed him, his glasses cracked and he felt his left ear bleeding. He then doubled over and fought hard not to lose his breakfast.

"Hmph... pathetic." the assailant droned.

"You tree-huggers don't know what you're up against." the girl to the assailant's right smirked.

"Put this down on your info cards. The gennin from the Sound Village are gonna be chūnin!" the boy to the assailant's left boasted.

As Sakura helped Kabuto compose himself, Naruto calmly walked over and stood between her and the sound gennin. "Was that really necessary? I was trying to sleep." he half-asked, half-demanded.

"No, but it was fun." the second sound shinobi replied. "What are you gonna do about it, kid?"

Naruto glared harshly at them. "I suggest you don't do it again. For if you do..." Then, his murderous intent spiked. "I'll make sure your bodies are never found." he finished with a growl.

All talking in the room ceased when they felt Naruto's steadily rising murderous intent. Some of the weaker ones, including Kiba, became very wary of the blond as he radiated his desire to kill... no, to slaughter everyone in sight without remorse. Gaara, on the other hand, was grinning madly at the prospect of fighting the living maelstrom.

**'It makes it so much easier with Daddy adding a little of his own murderous intent to make the competition think twice about competing.'** a highly amused Tsuki thought to herself as she strolled over to Naruto and rubbed her body against his leg, pulling his attention to her.

Looking down, Naruto saw the dark blue vixen and picked her up, unaware of her hidden smirk.

Suddenly, a large explosion went off at the other side of the room, drawing everyone's attention. "Alright you baby-faced degenerates, pipe down and listen up!" boomed a male voice from within the smoke.

As the smoke cleared, everyone saw about twenty chūnin flanking a mean-looking jounin. He's dressed like most jounin, but he's also wearing a black trench coat. His headband is worn like a bandana and his face is littered with scars.

"It's time to begin. I'm Ibiki Morino, your proctor. And from this moment, your worst enemy." said Ibiki.

xxxxx

A/N: Ladies and gentlemen, the Chūnin Exams have begun! While I'm leaving you here with this little cliffy, I don't like writing long chapters. Besides, this gives me time to come up with a different way to write the first exam than I did before. Anyways, please read and review. All flames shall go to Ibiki. He said something about needing them for a special guest he's entertaining.

Didn't expect one of the vixens to control sand, did you? Well, I've had that idea in my head since my fist run of this story. However, I never got to implement it. Now, like Ginko said, the vixens each have three elements. Here's a complete list of those elements for them and the Shugomori.

Naruto: Fire, Wind, Water, Steam and Ice; This is before Kushina's blood awakens. I'll explain further when it does. And no, he doesn't have Kyuubi's foxfire unless he uses the Kitsune Form Jutsu.  
Hinata: Wind, Water, Lightning and Ice; She has one more, but no one knows what it is. Plus, Neko's darkfire and hellfire don't count.  
Ino: Fire, Lightning and Wood; She can use the wood element without the required elements.  
Sakura: Fire, Water and Steam  
Tenten: Earth, Lightning and Steel  
Lee: None; I'll explain later for those who don't know.  
Yuki: Wind, Water and Ice; Haku has the same elements.  
Kouen: Fire, Wind and Lightning  
Ginko: Earth, Wind and Sand; Sand is a special element that only Shukaku can command. Somehow, Ginko can as well.  
Tsuki: Earth, Water and Wood

Changes from before: There are a few key differences in this one. First, Naruto wasn't allowed to take one of the foxes with him, nor were any of the others. This was due to them being as strong a chūnin separately. This time, I let him bring Tsuki along. This is due to me wanting to show more of his interaction with the vixen. I'll do the same with Kouen and, maybe, Yuki later on. Another change is that I had Naruto lead his squad away from the trap Izumo and Kotetsu set up to weed out the weaklings. I didn't feel like typing it up again, anyways. Just so you know, Naruto suspected that something was up, but didn't know what. Though that's not important now. Finally, instead of Sasuke wanting to know about Lee or Naruto doing his little explanation of what it mean to be chūnin, I had Sasuke ask about Tenten. I mean, I haven't read a story where Sasuke wondered about Tenten's skills. Lee, obviously. Neji, I found one story that did. Tenten, nope. And of course, I had Naruto become more passive in regards to Dosu's attack on Kabuto, but had him instill his intent to kill them if they piss him off. That part was my favorite.

Response Corner:

notgonnasay09: Well, I don't call them default pairings. I just go with what I like for the story. Besides, while most may pair Tenten with Neji, I have my reasons for pairing her with Lee. One of which is that in this story, Tenten and Neji don't get along that well. You'll see why later in the arc.

Speaking of the cameo, much of this chapter came from chapter ten of my first run of this story. This includes Naruto training the Konohamaru Corps. Now, when you mentioned the Garfield cameo, I didn't know what you meant at first. But then I remembered the red-orange cat and understood. To be honest, that wasn't a cameo for Garfield the Cat. For starters, Garfield is orange. The cat's fur being that color was because that's the color of Naruto's vest and pants.

I wonder if anyone else figured that the cat was a cameo for Garfield? Well, it doesn't really matter.

Appo1119: Well, old habits do die hard. At the very leasy, I'm trying to fix it.

yukicrewger2: Actually, he isn't. You see, while Naruto may have the required elements to use the sub-elements, he needs to know HOW before he can. And based on the chart you made, he won't be getting all of those elements anytime soon, even after Kushina's blood awakens. Plus, there is no particle element. It is the dust element, and Naruto won't get that one.

Chewie Cookies: Sorry about that. I lost my internet way back in July. I only recently got it back.

No preview this time. You already know what's about to happen next.

Later!


	17. Arc 3 Chapter 3

**The Kitsune and the Neko**

"Talking"  
'Thoughts'  
**Inner/Demon/Deity/Dire Beast  
**_Flashback/Mind Link_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N: Sorry for the late update. The site had some technical difficulties, for lack of a better explanation, where I couldn't update on time. Such problems are one of the very few reasons I would update when it isn't Sunday.

**Arc 3: The Ch****ū****nin Exams  
Chapter 3: The Test of Wills**

Suddenly, a large explosion went off at the other side of the room, drawing everyone's attention. "Alright you baby-faced degenerates, pipe down and listen up!" boomed a male voice from within the smoke.

As the smoke cleared, everyone saw about twenty chūnin flanking a mean-looking jounin. He's dressed like most jounin, but he's also wearing a black trench coat. His headband is worn like a bandana and his face is littered with scars.

"It's time to begin. I'm Ibiki Morino, your proctor. And from this moment, your worst enemy." said Ibiki. Everyone but Tsuki looked shocked.

**'Oh! So they send someone with guts to test us?'** Tsuki mused, still smirking. **'Well, at the very least, I won't be bored to death.'**

"First, you candidates from the Village Hidden in the Sound." Ibiki shouted, pointing at the assailant and his team. "Knock it off. Who told you could fight? You wanna be failed before we've even begun?"

The three sound gennin looked at the proctor. "Sorry, it's our first time. Guess we're a little jumpy, sir." said the assailant, the shock from Naruto's aura of death already gone.

Ibiki wasn't very pleased, but then he smirked. 'Kakashi was right. Naruto sure is good at intimidation.' he mused. "I'll say this once, so listen up. There will be no combat between candidates. No attacking each other without the permission of your proctor. Even then, the use of fatal force is strictly prohibited." Then, his face settled into a harsh glare. "Anyone who even thinks of messing with me will be disqualified immediately, got it?" Almost everyone was shaken up by this.

"No fatal force? That's no fun." said the other male sound ninja. Tsuki rolled her eyes at him.

"Now, if we're ready, we'll proceed to the first stage of the Chūnin Exam. Hand over your paperwork. In return, you will each be given a number. This number will determine where you will sit. We'll start the written test once you are all seated." Ibiki explained. Everyone did as they were told and, in a few minutes, were all seated.

'Great, I hate written tests. They're so boring.' Naruto whined. 'I wish I could just sleep through it, but Tsuki won't let me hear the end of it if I failed. Still... doesn't sound half bad.' He then glanced at the vixen on his shoulders before scratching her ears. 'Well, at least I won't be bored with her here. I know Ginko would be irritated by it and Kouen might actually sleep through it just for the hell of it.'

Suddenly, Naruto caught the scent of lavender and cats over to his right. "Naruto?"

Looking to his right, he saw Hinata sitting next to him. "Hinata? Well, this is a small world, huh?" Hinata and Tsuki giggled a little.

"Everyone, eyes front." said Ibiki as he tapped the chalkboard with a piece of chalk. "There are a few rules you need to be aware of. And I won't answer any questions, so you better pay attention the first time around."

'No questions? What kind of rules are these?' Sakura wondered to herself.

Ibiki began to write on the chalkboard. "Alright, rule number one is this. The written part of the exam is conducted on a point reduction system. Contrary to what some of you may be used to, you'll all begin the exam with a perfect score of ten points." He finished the writing while he continued with the explanation. "One point will be deducted for each answer you get wrong. So if you miss three, your final score will be seven. Rule number two: teams will pass or fail based on the total score of all three members." The second rule caused most of the room to gasp.

'Well, that's interesting.' Naruto deadpanned.

"Rule number three: the sentinels you see positioned around the room are there to watch you carefully for any signs of cheating. And for every incident they spot, they will subtract two points from the culprit's score." Ibiki continued.

"What?" said a male gennin sitting to Sakura's left.

"Huh?" said Sakura.

"Be warned; their eyes are extremely sharp. And if they catch you five times, you'll be dismissed before the tests are even scored." Ibiki warned them.

'Sheesh, they make it so there's all sorts of ways where you can lose points!' thought Sakura.

"Anyone fool enough to be caught cheating by the sentinels doesn't deserve to be here." Ibiki added.

"I've got my eye on you guys." said one of the sentinels, which made a few of the gennin nervous.

"If you want to be considered shinobi, then show us what exceptional shinobi you can be." Ibiki finished.

**'Exceptional, huh?'** Tsuki mused, eyebrow raised.

"One more thing." said Ibiki. "If any candidate should get a zero and fail the test, then the entire team fails." This shocked everyone.

'Didn't see that coming.' Naruto thought with wide eyes.

Hinata and Sakura gazed worriedly at their boyfriend to see how he's handling this, but they're unable to when Ibiki continued explaining the rules. "The final question won't be given out until fifteen minutes before the end of the testing period. You'll have one hour total." Ibiki waited for the clock in the room to say '9:30'. "Begin!" And the test has begun.

'Okay, Sakura, focus. This is where you show your stuff.' Sakura thought as she begins the test.

'Oh man, this doesn't look good.' Sasuke thought as he watched Naruto from several rows back. 'He's just sitting there. He's gonna choke!'

Naruto skimmed through the questions, seeing if he could even answer them. After a few minutes of trying to decipher them, he sighed. 'Go figure. I can't even understand these questions at all.' He looked up and stared at Ibiki. 'How do you expect a gennin to answer such advanced questions, Ibiki?'

_**"I don't think that's the point, kit."**__ Kyuubi interjected._

_"Explain."_

At the same time, Sakura also looked over the test paper, and she spotted why Naruto wasn't doing anything. She gasped when her suspicions were worse than she had originally thought. 'I see now. These are integrated problems based on principles of uncertainty and require complex energy analysis. Incredibly advanced stuff.' she surmised.

_**"Naruto can't solve these! They're way too advanced for him!"**__ Haruko chimed in. __**"In fact, there can't be more than a handful of people, besides us, that can even understand it!"**_

_"So what are we supposed to do? We can't leave our boyfriend out to dry like this." Sakura asked her inner self._

_**"Who said that we are?"**__ Haruko replied. __**"Look, we can answer them, right? All we have to do is relay the answers to Naruto via the Mind Link Jutsu."**_

_"That's it! Of course!" Sakura cheered._

With the aid of her Byakugan, Hinata noticed that her boyfriend isn't writing anything down. 'He probably hasn't figured it out yet.' she figured. While she could understand them, some of them she couldn't answer. She and Neko figured out that the questions were way too hard for normal gennin to answer. Then again, she wasn't a normal gennin. 'But how am I going to help him?'

_**"By touching him."**__ was Neko's honest reply._

_"What? But we're in the middle of a test!"_

_**"Hinata, focus. I didn't mean it like you may think. Just wrap your left arm around his right, so that your skin is touching his."**_

_"And what's that going to do?"_

_**"Do it and you'll see. But be discreet about it. No need to attract unwanted attention."**_

Following the nekomata's advice, Hinata slid her arm around his and was amazed that she could hear his thoughts.

_"Ah, so that's it!" Naruto spoke._

_**"Exactly. We must cheat and not get caught. Gathering the answers seems to be the whole point of this exam."**__ Kyuubi explained, but then he paused. __**"Hmm? Kit, I think we have company."**_

_"What do you mean?" Naruto wondered._

_**"He means the kitten and I."**__ Neko spoke up._

_"Huh? How can I hear you in my head?" Naruto asked the demoness._

_"Look at your right arm, Naruto." Hinata answered._

_Glancing down, he saw Hinata's arm wrapped around his. "Not that I mind, but what's going on?" he wondered._

_**"I wanted to test something out, that's all."**__ Neko replied. __**"You see, due to your love for me and the kitten, by you two touching, the four of us can communicate telepathically."**_

_"Amazing! I wonder if we can communicate with Lady Tsunade like this?" Hinata wondered._

_"I don't know and we can't try it out. She said that because I'm in the Ch__ū__nin Exams, she won't respond if I call out to her unless it's an emergency." Naruto responded._

_**"Understandable."**__ the two Bijuu spoke at the same time._

_"Naruto, can you hear me?" Sakura's voice filtered into their minds._

_"And yet another person joins the Noggin Club." Naruto commented, causing the females to giggle. "Tsuki's not going to join us in here, is she?"_

_"Probably not. It looks like she went to sleep." Sakura observed._

_Glancing at the vixen, Naruto noticed that she wasn't moving and that her breathing was steady and even. 'Damn... This test is so boring, it actually put her to sleep.' he mused with a sweat-drop. "So what's up, Sakura?"_

_**"We want to help you out, what else?"**__ Haruko replied._

Using their current mental link, Naruto, Sakura and Hinata were able to answer all nine of the questions. Ino soon joined the bunch to get the answers from Sakura so she can give them to Chouji. Shikamaru, unable to aid his best friend, easily answered the questions before falling asleep. Sasuke, knowing that Sakura is very bright and probably has the answers, used his Sharingan to copy her movements. To his confusion, his bloodline showed that she's using a jutsu, but couldn't tell what it was. Across the room, Akamaru sat on Kiba's head and relayed the answers to him while Shino used his beetles to gather the answers. In the back, Neji used his Byakugan to locate someone with the answers while Tenten attached chakra strings to the mirrors in the light fixtures and maneuvered them so she can use them. With Lee's aid, she aligned them into position and, thanks to Neji, she was able to get the answers to Lee and herself.

About thirty minutes into the test, Naruto tilted his head to the left slightly as a kunai flew between him and the sleeping vixen, landing on the test paper behind Hinata. Some of the leaf ninjas, including the now awake Tsuki, were spooked.

'Talk about cutting it close.' Naruto thought as he comforted the now frightened kitsune princess shaking in his arms.

That was only the first of many teams that were eliminated.

'Hmm... now that we've weeded out most of the hopeless cases...' Ibiki thought to himself. 'Fifteen minutes to go. Time for the main event.' He scanned the room and counted the number of remaining candidates, coming to a little over one hundred. "Alright, listen up. Here's the tenth and final question." Many of them tensed up while some were starting to sweat bullets.

'Finally.' Ino and Naruto thought, completely bored. The latter still has Tsuki in his arms.

'Man, this guy's full of himself.' thought an annoyed Sasuke.

'This is it, the final obstacle.' Sakura thought.

'Hurry up, Kankuro. What good is your cheat sheet going to be if you miss the tenth question?' thought a half-worried, half-annoyed Temari. Early on, Kankuro left to go to the bathroom, only to be handcuffed to one of the sentinels, which turned out to be the Crow in disguise. That was over half an hour ago and he still hasn't returned.

"But before I give you the question, there are some more rules you need to be aware of." Ibiki stated. Just then, Kankuro came back into the room after relieving himself. "Ah, made it just in time." said Ibiki before he and almost the entire room stared at the sand gennin and the sentinel with him. "I hope you found your trip to the bathroom enlightening?"

Kankuro began to sweat. 'He's seen through Crow's disguise. He's on to us.' he thought.

"Well, take your seat." Ibiki said in a deep and low tone of voice that sent chills down Kankuro's spine. Kankuro complied and walked back to his seat. When he passed by Temari, he dropped a small piece of paper near her that no one noticed but them. He continued walking to his seat several rows in front of her.

Ibiki stepped forward before he began to explain the rules. "These rules are unique to question ten. Listen carefully and try not to let them frighten you." he said, adding a grave tone to his voice at the last sentence.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, during the written test, Kakashi, Kurenai and Asuma are sitting together while their teams are taking the exams.

"It's quiet without the rookies around. Hmph, I almost miss 'em." said Kakashi as he and the other two jounin relaxed in the lounge.

"Don't worry. Chances are, they'll be coming back here sooner than you think." said Asuma as he held a cigarette in his hand.

"Why's that?" asked Kakashi as he and Kurenai looked at the Hokage's son.

"I've heard that their first examiner is... Ibiki." Asuma replied.

"Hm?" Kakashi looked dumbfounded at first, but then showed concern. 'So, already their chances of passing look iffy.' He then leaned back with an arm draped on the couch he's sitting on. "Great… Sticking them with that sadist right off the bat."

"Huh? What sadist?" Kurenai asked.

Asuma chuckled lightly, which earned her attention. "I forgot. You're a new jounin, Kurenai. Otherwise, you wouldn't have to ask that."

Kurenai looked a little offended by his comment. "So I'm ignorant. Who is he?" she asked.

Kakashi looked out the window and said, "He's what you might call... a specialist."

"Oh yeah?" said Kurenai before looking at Asuma. "In what?"

Asuma took a puff before answering. "Interrogation, torture." Kurenai looked at him, a little confused and more than a little concerned, before he explained further. "Oh... of course, he won't be using physical torture during the test. He won't need to; that's not really his thing, anyway. He works on people's minds, not their bodies. He's famous for it. Everyone knows about the head of the ANBU Torture and Interrogation Corps for the Hidden Leaf Village: Ibiki Morino."

xxxxx

'Great, another headache to deal with.' Naruto deadpanned.

"Very well then, rule number one." Ibiki began as he faced the remaining candidates. "Each of you is free to choose not to be given the final question. It's your decision."

'What?' thought the Shugomori.

'Say what? We're free to choose?' Sasuke thought, finding it hard to believe.

"Whoa, so what's the catch? Let's say we decide we don't want to do it, what happens then?" Temari asked.

"If you choose not to take the tenth question, regardless of your answers to the other nine, you'll get a zero." Ibiki replied. He then smirked and added, "In other words, you fail. That means, of course, both your teammates fail as well." With that said, there were many who now wanted to take the tenth question. "Not so fast, you didn't let me finish." he said, his eyes closed.

'More rules? Enough already!' Sakura sighed.

"If you do accept the question and answer it incorrectly, not only will you fail..." Ibiki paused, leaving them in suspense. "YOU WILL BE BARRED FROM TAKING THE CHŪNIN EXAMS EVER AGAIN!" he bellowed, scaring just about everyone there to the very core.

"Hey, that's bullshit, man! That's ridiculous! What kind of bogus rule is that? There's lots of people who's taken the test before!" Kiba raged, pointing a finger at Ibiki. Akamaru barked in agreement.

Ibiki let loose a wicked laugh. "I guess you're just... unlucky." he said very gravely. "I wasn't making the rules before, but I am now. Of course, if you don't want to take it, you don't have to." This silenced and scared Kiba. "If you're not feeling confident, then by all means, skip it. You can come back and try again next year." Then, Ibiki let loose another wicked laugh.

'Thanks a lot. So if anyone of us choose to skip it, then all three of us fail? Forget it! That's not gonna happen! But on the other hand, you only get one shot. Screw up and you'll never get another chance. Either way, it stinks! This is so unfair! Why couldn't they just give us a normal test?' Sakura thought, completely worried and upset.

"Now then, if you're ready, the tenth and final question. Those who don't want to take it, raise your hand. Your number will be recorded and then you're free to go." Ibiki stated, keeping his stone cold face intact.

'So that's your game, huh? You sadistic bastard; trying to psych us into quitting. Weeding out those who aren't ready to become chūnin. How come I didn't see this coming?' Naruto thought, already figuring out Ibiki's tactic, as he watched one squad after another quit, unable to take the pressure. 'But then, there's that question... What could it be? Hopefully, we can figure this out. Otherwise, we're screwed!'

_"We'll figure it out, Naruto. You can count on it." Hinata added, reassuring her boyfriend._

'Well, I'm okay. There's no way he's getting me to chicken out.' thought Sakura, not falling for Ibiki's psych out tactics. She then felt Naruto's emotions through their link and smiled, knowing that he's not going to quit either. 'Come on, Naruto. Let's show him that the Shugomori never backs down!'

Ibiki looked over the room, examining the remaining candidates. 'Seventy-two left, more than I've expected.' he thought. 'But I don't see anyone wavering. I think that's it.' He looked at the sentinels, who all nodded. He nodded back before looking at the candidates again. "For those of you remaining, there's only one thing left to do. And that's for me to tell you..." He paused for dramatic effect. "that you all pass the first exam." This caught everyone that's remaining off guard.

"Whoa, hold on. What the hell just happened? What do you mean we just passed? Where's the tenth question?" asked Sakura, standing up from her seat.

Ibiki's face breaks out into a grin and laughs. "There never was one; not a written one at least. Actually, your decision to stay was the answer to the tenth question."

"Huh?" was Sakura's dumbfounded response.

"Wait a second." said Temari, drawing all eyes to her. "So the other nine questions you gave us were just a waste of time? Is that what you're saying?"

"Oh no, not at all. Quite the opposite." he began to explain. "The first nine questions had an important overriding purpose: to test your ability to surreptitiously gather strategic intelligence under the most adverse circumstances."

"Oh, well that clears up everything." said Temari sarcastically, causing Naruto and Tsuki to sweat-drop.

"Let me explain. You see, the objective was to test you not only as individuals, but as a team and how well you function as part of that team. That's why the test was scored on a team basis, so that everything you did or failed to do would directly affect your teammates. I wanted to see how you'd handle the pressure." Ibiki explained. "The first nine questions on the test were difficult. In fact, as you may've realized, too difficult for any gennin to be expected to solve. I imagine that most of you quickly came to that conclusion that you have to cheat if you had any chances of passing. The fact is the test was designed to encourage cheating, it almost demanded it. Of course, it would've done you little good unless you had someone to cheat from. So I'd disguised two chūnin, who already knew the answers, and had them sit in with you." Then, the two chūnin he mentioned raised their hands.

"Those who were caught at it failed. Better not to cheat than to cheat clumsily." he continued as he began to untie his bandana. Once he took it off, every gennin there was shocked at what they saw. "Information, it can be the most valuable weapon in battle. How well you gather intelligence can determine if a mission's a failure or a success. There will be times where you'll have to risk your life to get it."

"Man, what a mess. Scars and puncture wounds, burn marks. What he must've endured." said Sasuke, keeping his cool.

"Of course, you must always consider the source of your information. Intelligence gathered from an enemy is not necessarily accurate." Ibiki carried on while putting his bandana back on. "Always bear this in mind. Disinformation can be worse than no information at all. It can lead to the death of comrades or the loss of a village. That's why I'd put you into this position where you had to gather accurate intelligence. Cheat in order to survive. And that's why those who weren't good enough at it were weeded out, leaving the rest of you."

"Okay, but I'm still not getting what the tenth question thing is all about." said Temari.

"You're not? The tenth question was the main point of the exam. Surely you see that?" Ibiki pointed out.

"Sure, but explain it anyway." said Sakura.

"As I said before, the goal was to test you not only as individuals, but as part of a squad. The final question gave you two choices, both difficult. You could choose to play it safe and skip the question, though it meant that both you and your teammates would fail, or you can try and answer it, knowing that if you got it wrong, you would lose your chance of ever being chūnin. It was a no win situation, but just the sort chūnin have to face almost everyday." Ibiki stated. "For example, let me give you a hypothetical mission. To steal a document from an enemy stronghold. You have no idea how many ninja the enemy has or how heavily armed they are. Furthermore, you have reason to believe that the enemy expects you, that you might very well be walking blindly into a trap. Now do you have the option of taking a pass on this insane mission, of saying my comrades and I would rather live to fight another day? Can you choose to avoid danger?" He paused. "No! There will be many missions that seem almost suicidal if you think about it. But you do not think about it. You think only of the goal and achieving it through courage and discipline. These are the qualities required of a chūnin squad leader. Those who choose the safer of two paths, those whose determination falters at the face of adversity, those who would put their comrades' lives in jeopardy worrying about their own, those who would save their own necks for the price of sacred honor will never be able to call themselves chūnin, at least as long as I'm here. As for the rest of you, you have successfully answered the ten questions I'd put to you. You have earned the right to continue on to the next step. You have passed through the first gate. I hear by declare this part of the Chūnin Selection Exams completed. There's nothing left, but to wish you all good luck."

After Ibiki said that, his eyes darted to the window, where someone covered in a sheet entered the room, via smashing though the window. Two kunai pinned the sheet to the ceiling, revealing it to be a sign.

Ibiki inwardly sighed from the other side of the sign. 'Jumped the gun, as usual.' he thought.

"Heads up, boys and girls. This is no time to be celebrating. I'll be your next proctor, Anko Mitarashi. Are you ready for the second test?" said Anko. She then thrust her fist into the air and added, "Good, then let's go. Follow me!"

Many people sweat-dropped at her crazy antics. 'What... the... hell?' Naruto deadpanned. 'Who is this woman... and why is she dressed like that?'

_**"Maybe she's looking to get some."**__ Kyuubi supplied._

_"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that."_

"You're early... again." Ibiki told her from the left side of the sign, causing her to sweat-drop.

"What the hell? How many guys are there?" Anko asked before turning her head towards the other proctor. "Ibiki, you let all these guys pass? Your test was too easy. You must be getting soft."

"Or it could be a stronger crop of candidates this year." Ibiki countered.

Anko looked at the gennin and raised an eyebrow. "Hmm... they sure don't look it. Trust me, before I'm done with them, more than half will be eliminated."

Sakura gulped. "M-More than half? Really?"

"Hmph, this is gonna be fun." smirked Anko. "Alright, you maggots have had it easy so far, but things are gonna be different starting right now. Follow me and try to keep up." She then strolled over to the window and jumped right out.

Nobody moved for a moment before Anko reappeared into the classroom. "What are you all waiting for, a sign? GET MOVING!" she shouted before leaping out the window again. But this time, the gennin quickly followed her.

After everyone has left, Ibiki chuckled before beginning to collect the test papers.

xxxxx

Fifteen minutes later, the remaining gennin stared at a large forest surrounded by a chainlink fence with many 'restricted area' signs all over it.

"This is the location for the second phase of the exam. It's the Forty-Fourth Battle Training Zone." Anko replied as she stood in front of the group. "But we call it, the Forest of Death."

xxxxx

A/N: One down, two to go. Man, this was a good one. I hope you all liked it, especially the end. Well, tell me all about it in a review. I'll let Anko deal with the flames this time.

Anko: Like hell I will!

Changes from before: This one focused on Naruto, Hinata and Sakura more than the others. Also, I wanted the end to be slightly different. Another thing is that the test started at '3:30', which is what the clock said. However, since I wanted the second exam to immediately follow the first, I changed the time to be more fitting. If I didn't, it would've been a plothole.

Response Corner:

notgonnasay09: Yes, well while I could have had all three sisters join him for the exams, I didn't want them to. I chose Tsuki to join him for three reasons. One, because I didn't want to go with the obvious choice, which would be Ginko. Two, to make it more fair overall. And three, to give the vixen more storytime. The latter is because Tsuki didn't get her boyfriend until late in the second arc, despite her having one since late in the first arc. Kouen and Ginko, on the other hand, had boyfriends since late in the first arc and have spent time with them since. Also, I wanted Tsuki to spend more time with Naruto outside of being her usual choice for a dance partner.

As for the Bijuu, I usually see them referred to as demons of destruction, enemies to all and even demonic siblings. My take on the Bijuu for this story is far different from the norm. If I had to guess, it will be about thirty more chapters or so before I reveal the whole story. Anyway, I have read a few stories where Kyuubi and Shukaku are rivals and even best friends. Those stories tend to be some good ones in my opinion.

And yes, I could've been more original for the beginning scene. Hell, I could have skipped it if I wanted to. But then again, it was a minor scene and was only there for authenticity. Plus, it has a special role in a later chapter, though most, if any, might not discover where or when. I'll reveal where at the end of the arc.

No preview this time either. No need for me to point out the obvious, right?

Later!


	18. Arc 3 Chapter 4

**The Kitsune and the Neko**

"Talking"  
'Thoughts'  
**Inner/Demon/Deity/Dire Beast  
**_Flashback/Mind Link_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Arc 3: The Ch****ū****nin Exams  
Chapter 4: A Forest of Nightmares Part 1**

Fifteen minutes later, the remaining gennin stared at a large forest surrounded by a chainlink fence with many 'restricted area' signs all over it.

"This is the location for the second phase of the exam. It's the Forty-Fourth Battle Training Zone." Anko replied as she stood in front of the group. "But we call it, the Forest of Death." The forest itself was quite ominous. Everyone could see a very large bug crawling about and a bird being eaten by a huge snake. Some of the gennin were beginning to lose their nerve.

'Okay, this could be a problem.' Naruto thought as he and Tsuki scanned the forest with their eyes. Neither of them have ever heard of this forest before, so they concluded that if they have to go through it, they'll need their full teamwork for this.

"This whole place just completely creeps me out." shivered a very nervous Sakura as she stood next to her boyfriend. Sasuke gave an unimpressed look.

Anko smirked at Sakura's comment, knowing that the group of gennin are going to hate this place. "It should. They call it the Forest of Death; and soon enough, you're gonna find out why." she said after a brief giggle. "Now before we begin this test, I have something to hand out to you all." Anko then pulled out a stack of papers from her trench coat. "It's just a standard consent form." She paused, noticing that almost everyone had a confused look. "Before the test, all of you are going to have to read over this form, then sign it."

"What for?" asked a male rain ninja.

Anko smiled. "Some of you may not come back from this test, and I have to get your consent to that risk." Then her face became cheery. "Otherwise, it'll be my responsibility." She then laughed, letting the thought of dying during this test sink in. "Now, I'll be explaining what you'll be doing on this test. Here, pass these out." And with that, she handed the forms to Naruto, who took one and handed the rest to another ninja. "The first thing you'll need to know is that this test will test every one of your survival skills."

'Survival... what a drag.' Shikamaru thought lazily with half-lidded eyes as he got his own form before handing the rest to Chouji. He then yawned out of boredom.

"First, I'll give you all a description of the terrain of the practice field." Anko continued while showing everyone a map scroll of the training area. "The Forty-Fourth Battle Training Zone has forty-four locked entrance gates. There are rivers and a forest inside. In the center is a locked tower, located ten kilometers from each gate. It's in this confined area that you'll undergo the survival test." She paused briefly, letting everyone absorb the information she had explained so far. "The test consists of..." She rolled up the scroll and put it back in her coat. "an anything goes battle to get your hands on these scrolls." she finished with a serious tone in her voice while showing the two small scrolls the seventy-two gennin must procure. They each have a grey tag with a navy-blue stripe on both ends. One scroll is beige and has 'heaven' written on the tag in kanji. The other is navy-blue and has 'earth' written on the tag in kanji.

"Both of them?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes." Anko replied. "You'll be fighting to get both a heaven scroll and an earth scroll. Altogether, twenty-six teams will be taking part in this test; so half of those teams will be going after a heaven scroll and the other half will try and get an earth scroll. I'll hand over one kind of scroll to each team and that's what you'll be vying for."

Sasuke then asked another question. "Okay, so how do we pass the test?"

"Your entire squad must bring both a heaven and earth scroll to the tower." Anko answered.

"So that means, at the very best, half of us will fail. More if not every team is able to get both the scrolls." Sakura stated.

"No one ever said it would be easy. Oh, and one more thing." Anko said while putting the two scrolls back in her coat. "The test has a time limit. You must finish within five days."

"Five days out there?" complained a shocked Ino.

"What are we supposed to do for food?" asked an equally shocked Chouji.

"Just look around. The forest is full of things to eat. There's plenty to feed all of you." Anko replied.

"True, but there are also man-eating insects, plants and other large beasts that could consider us all their next meal." Kabuto added nonchalantly.

"Ah man!" Chouji whined.

"Pipe down. This is why they call it survival, you know." Ino told him.

"That means, with these circumstances, there's no way half the teams will pass the test." Neji stated.

"With the days getting longer, the nights are getting shorter. So we'll have less time to sleep and less time to recover." Lee added. "It is a challenge indeed." he continued less seriously, teeth glinting at the end.

"Completely surrounded by enemies. There'll be no time to rest. We'll have to keep a constant watch." said Sasuke.

"Right. This test also measures endurance behind enemy lines. This is designed to be a grueling test and I'm sure that some of you won't be up to the challenge." said Anko.

Shikamaru then raised his hand. "So, um, let's say in the exam. Can we quit?" he asked.

"Of course not. In the middle of a battle, you can't say 'sorry, I quit'." Anko told him. She then smiled and added, "Well, I guess you could, but it's probably gonna get you killed."

"Oh, this is great." Shikamaru said in a bored tone. "This is gonna be a drag." Ino was getting annoyed with his complaining while Chouji's eating a bag a potato chips.

Anko continued with her explanation of the test. "There are also ways you can get disqualified." She held up her left hand and showed the numbers with her fingers. "The first is simple. If all three members can't make it to the tower with both scrolls after five days. Number two; if a team loses a member or if the member becomes incapacitated. But most importantly, none of you, absolutely none of you, can look at the contents of the scrolls until you've reached the tower. There are times that a ninja will be asked to carry secret documents. The scroll rule is to test your integrity." She then put her hand down. "Okay, we're done. Each team take your consent forms and exchange them over there for your scrolls." She pointed at a booth to her left. "After that, each team pick a gate and you'll be led inside." Anko then sighed and spoke again like she was bored. "Oh, and I have one more word of advice." Then she got serious again. "Just don't die!" she shouted, reminding everyone again of the danger they all face.

xxxxx

After her speech, the gennin all broke up into their teams and scattered about, coming up with strategies, checking their gear and whatnot.

'I see how it is. We won't know which team has what scroll and we won't know which team member is carrying the scroll.' Sasuke observed as he saw two of the chūnin cover the booth with a red sheet, preventing others from seeing inside. 'Stealing information is a matter of life and death. It's just like Ibiki said.' He then looked at his consent form. 'Everyone is equally determined to pass, and all of them are my enemies.'

'Hmm... looks like they finally understanding what is involved in this test.' Anko though as she watched Sasuke.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, Naruto was sitting under a tree, reading his consent form. After signing it, he ran his fingers through Tsuki's fur, getting a content purr from her. "So, how should we do this?" he whispered low enough where only she could hear him.

**"I think we'll need some help for this. Perhaps convince the others to rendezvous at a certain spot and then move towards the tower as a group, collecting the scrolls as we go."** Tsuki suggested.

_**"A wise idea, princess. Listen to her, kit, and do as she says."**__ Kyuubi added._

"Easier said than done. Sasuke, Neji and Kiba may not agree with that plan." Naruto pointed out.

**"So? This isn't a democracy. This is survival. And to survive, there's always strength in numbers. Tell them that."** Tsuki argued.

Naruto sighed, knowing that she's right. But then, a soft, sweet voice grabbed his attention. "Naruto?"

Naruto stood up and saw Hinata staring into his crystal blue eyes. "Here, I think you might need this." In her hands are two small brown jars.

"That's the special ointment, isn't it?" he asked, recognizing the jars and assuming their contents. Hikari taught them how to use the medicinal herbs they grow to make this special ointment. Remembering, he checked his pouch and found it missing the small brown jar that contained his medical ointment. "You knew I forgot mine, didn't you?" Hinata nodded to both questions while handing him the jars. "Thank, love." he said, embracing her. She returned the hug and kissed him on the cheek.

They both parted when Tsuki patted the top of Hinata's head with her tail. **"Not that I mind, but we have some pressing matters to attend to."** she said quietly.

xxxxx

Minutes later, all twenty-six teams are at random gates. The other members of the rookie nine along with Guy's squad have already been informed of Tsuki's idea and have more or less agreed to it. Like Naruto figured, Kiba, Sasuke and Neji were against it. Shikamaru just stated that it was a total drag to disagree, which Ino found amusing. Both Hinata and Shino convinced Kiba to go along with it while Naruto and Sakura did the same for Sasuke. It wasn't easy with the avenger wanting to fight a powerful opponent, but they said that doing so in a place like this is foolishness. And while they respect the need to fight powerful opponents to grow stronger, what's the point if you're dead? Neji was the hardest to convince. Tenten and Lee tried their best, but could not succeed in their endeavor. They had to resort to a majority vote, which of course Neji lost and was forced to agree with the plan.

Once Anko's watch said '11:00'... "Alright, heads up, you maggots! The second part of the test has begun!" she shouted. All the gates flew open and everyone dashed in.

xxxxx

"So Naruto, which way should we go?" Sakura asked after they've entered the forest.

After a few sniffs, he and Tsuki frowned. "Damn... We're upwind, so we can't catch a scent." he replied.

"Are you sure?" asked Sasuke.

"Positive. If we were downwind, we could smell whoever's ahead of us." After a few more sniffs, he said, "Well, no reason to stand in place, is there? Let's move." And they took off.

xxxxx

Hinata, Kiba and Shino have stopped moving and begin to survey the area.

"Okay, first thing we got to do is to find it. Are you ready, Hinata?" asked Kiba.

Hinata nodded before forming a hand sign. The sign is similar to the 'mi' sign, but the right index finger is pointed upwards. "Byakugan." she said, activating her visual jutsu.

xxxxx

Tenten, Lee and Neji have taken to the trees. Lee is ahead of them by a few paces.

"Take it easy, Lee. The test's only just begun." Neji said to his teammate.

"That may be, but still..." Lee replied. Neji looked at him and after a moment, he continued. "Wherever are enemies are, I want to find them before they find us."

"You hot-blooded fool." stated Neji, amused at Lee's determination.

xxxxx

Ino and Shikamaru are hiding behind trees, checking for enemy ninja as well as a friendly team. As they continue on, Ino stopped and looked at Chouji, who was sitting on the ground. "Ah! Are you kidding? What are you doing?" she asked him.

Chouji opened up a bag of potato chips before he replied, "Just having a snack. I mean, I gotta keep my strength up, don't I?" He then began to stuff his face with chips.

"We haven't even been out here five minutes!" she retorted.

"Yeah, come on, Chouji. We have a job to do here." Shikamaru said to his best friend.

Chouji just turned around in one sitting hop. "I can't help it. I gotta eat, they're my favorite flavor."

"You and your snacks. This is a survival test, you know." Ino said to him before pulling out a kunai. "You should've packed more kunai and less candy!" she added, annoyed.

Shikamaru then heard some movement from close by. "You guys, quick, hide!" he exclaimed in a whisper before grabbing Chouji's white scarf and pulling him into a nearby bush. Ino jumped into said bush before them. After they've hid, three ninjas appeared in the area they once occupied. Shikamaru watched them from the bush, but he spotted something that could give away their location; a potato chip. 'Oh no!' he thought.

A moment after they've arrived, the three ninjas left when one of them pointed to his right. Once they did, Ino sighed in relief.

'Ah man... I gotta deal with five more days of this?' Shikamaru thought to himself.

xxxxx

A team of waterfall ninja approached squad eight's position from the safety of the trees. They begin to listen as Kiba explained his plan to get a scroll to the Shino and Hinata.

Kiba and Akamaru's noses picked up the enemy ninjas. "Well, well. We've got company." said Kiba in a low voice where only his teammates can hear, catching said teammates' attention.

"Heh... bunch of fools. Just standing out in the open like they wanna get caught." said one of the waterfall ninja that are watching squad eight.

"Well, it seems that they've sensed out presence, but they're all such lame ninja that they can't pinpoint our location." said another one who's hanging upside-down before righting himself and standing on the branch they're on. Suddenly, the first ninja has a frightened look on his face as a leech pops out of the back of his shirt. Then, from above, more leeches shower them as squad eight watched the scene before them.

"Well, looks like the leeches found them. They sense body temperature and perspiration and, in a group, they swoop down on their prey. If they suck your blood for five minutes, it's all over." Kiba explained to them. "These predators are smart. We've taken advantage of their instincts to trap our enemies."

"Get off me!" painfully said the only surviving waterfall ninja out of the three as the leeches continue to suck his blood. His arm trips a wire and the three ninjas are trapped in a capture net.

Kiba smirked. "There's one team down." he said as their prey screamed.

xxxxx

Outside the forest, Anko heard their screams and she's enjoying it. "Sounds like the fun has begun." she said, smirking.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, squad seven also heard the screams and looked in that direction. Sasuke and Tsuki were curious about who screamed and both knew that a team has been eliminated. Sakura was scared by the screams, but was easily comforted by the fact that her boyfriend was with her. Naruto raised his eyebrow and wondered who was caught.

xxxxx

Back with squad eight, Kiba rummaged through their gear and found the scroll they were looking for. "Yahoo!" he exclaimed as Akamaru barked cheerfully.

"Well, now that we have our scroll, let's meet up with the others." Hinata reminded them.

"Do we really have to? I mean, we can simply leave them and go to the tower now." Kiba whined.

"We could, but I'm not leaving my friends out here while we sit in comfort." Hinata firmly stated.

"She has a point, Kiba. As leaf ninjas, we should help our comrades." Shino added. "Besides, we all agreed to the plan." Akamaru barked in agreement.

Kiba growled in annoyance, but quickly saw it their way.

xxxxx

Ten minutes later, Naruto's senses were a buzz. 'Something's wrong.' "Um, guys?"

"What is it, Naruto?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"Could you wait here for a sec? I-I gotta make a pit stop." he said, smiling sheepishly.

"Fine, but don't take too long." Sakura told him as Tsuki hopped onto her shoulder.

"Don't worry, I won't." Naruto assured her as he walked behind a tree.

A minute later, they saw something flying toward them. It was a team of rain ninjas each garbed in beige jumpsuits with some kind of metal respirator. Sasuke and Sakura raised an eyebrow, noticing that they were knocked out and their gear were missing. Tsuki found it amusing.

"Geeze, can't a guy have a minute to relieve himself before getting ambushed?" said an annoyed Naruto as he strolled over and kicked one of the unconscious gennin in the head. "Sadly, they didn't have the scroll we needed, though their gear I think we should keep. Less work for us if they decide to return."

Sasuke smirked as Naruto made a clone to help them remove the rain ninjas from the exams. They picked them up, stripped them of their clothes, tied them up with some rope Naruto had on him and threw them behind a bush, and then burned their clothes. Sakura and Tsuki were fortunate that they turned away when the boys were doing this.

"So what all did they have on them?" Sakura asked her boyfriend.

As Naruto searched and sorted their ninja gear, he whistled at the amount of spoils. "Well, more or less typical ninja gear. They have shuriken, kunai, double-bladed kunai, smoke bombs, paper bombs and ninja wire." he replied as he looked though the holsters and pouches. "Which do you want more of?"

"Shuriken and ninja wire." said Sasuke.

"Kunai and paper bombs." said Sakura.

"Alright." Naruto nodded as he divvied up the ninja tools.

Nearly a minute of walking later, Naruto's ears detected the wind picking up unnaturally. His eyes widened when realization hit him. "Get down!" And with that, squad seven hit the dirt as the wind began to blow hard, trying to pick up the three gennin. They tried their best to stay rooted, but it wasn't easy with the strength of the wind.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, squad eight came to a halt when Hinata signaled for them to stop.

"What is it?" Shino asked her.

"The wind has picked up rather unnaturally. Someone must be using a wind jutsu." Hinata replied before activating her Byakugan. Her eyes widened when she saw squad seven in the distance. "This way!" she said before darting in another direction, estimating how far they would be thrown if they lost their grip on the ground.

Shino and Kiba quickly followed their teammate, wondering what she saw.

xxxxx

Squad seven's grip on the ground was starting to falter, even with their chakra acting as roots. Naruto can tell that either he or Tsuki is going to fly away first. And if Tsuki flies off, he'll be right behind her.

"Sasuke, Sakura, stay together. I doubt we'll be able to survive on our own." he said before he could no longer stay rooted. The wind picked him and Tsuki up and tossed them into the trees.

"Naruto! Tsuki!" Sakura shouted as she and Sasuke watched them disappear before the wind slowly died down.

Once the wind stopped, Sasuke and Sakura stood and saw a grass kunoichi standing in front of them. Using her killing intent, the foreign ninja scared them stiff. Sakura was completely petrified and Sasuke wasn't any better. The enemy looked unimpressed as she threw a kunai at each of them, but the two gennin willed themselves to move. Sasuke stabbed himself with a kunai while Haruko took over. They then leaped away from the enemy ninja with a chakra powered lunge. The grass ninja smirked and began her chase.

xxxxx

In the air, Naruto spread his wings and caught Tsuki in his arms before gliding to a tree branch. Once he landed, he dismissed his wings just before Hinata arrived.

"Perfect timing." he said as Shino and Kiba landed behind her.

"Where are the others?" Kiba asked.

"Tsuki and I were blown from them. Someone used a wind jutsu to separate us." Naruto replied.

"And that someone is with them right now." Hinata informed.

Before they could move to help, a killer aura washed over them. Once it did, Hinata's Byakugan was disabled and she fell onto her knees, Akamaru and Tsuki started trembling and Shino let out his bugs to track Sasuke and Sakura. Naruto, Kiba and Shino weren't affected by the aura, so Naruto went over to Hinata to snap her and the vixen out of it while Kiba did the same to Akamaru. As soon as Hinata noticed her boyfriend near her, she leaped into his arms and clung to him like he was a lifeline. He can tell that she's crying and that something or someone very powerful was responsible for it.

Before she and Tsuki could fully calm down, they heard Kiba shout, "Move!" The band of five leaped out of the way as a large snake tried to eat Naruto, Hinata and Tsuki. This royally pissed Naruto off and Hinata and Tsuki immediately calmed down and were as pissed as Naruto. They rushed the snake as it tried to eat them again, but it managed to catch Naruto in its jaws. As it struggled, he positioned himself so that his legs are keeping the serpent's mouth open.

"Everyone, get back! Hinata, you know what to do." he said before flashing through hand signs. Hinata leaped in front of her team and reactivated her family's jutsu, watching them, Naruto and the snake. "You want a meal, well eat this! Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" he exclaimed before shooting flames down the serpent's open mouth. He amped up the power, causing the snake to explode from the inside out, launching Naruto into the air.

While in the air, Naruto rotated while a strange light blue grow swirls around him. At the same time, Hinata began her part of the plan. She stepped forward, giving her enough room for her jutsu. "Eight Trigrams: Rotation!" she said as she spun like a top while expelling chakra from every chakra point in her body.

The guts of the snake were kept off of them before they disappeared in a puff of smoke. As soon as that happened, Naruto knew instantly what this meant. 'A summoning? Uh-oh, that's not good!' he thought before warning the others. "C'mon. We gotta move and fast!" Not giving them time to respond, Naruto and Hinata darted off towards the action with the others following suit.

_"Kyuubi, contact your wife. The white snake is in the forest. We'll need some help to skin it."_

_**"Way ahead of you, kit."**_

_"Naruto, I'm going to contact Jiraiya. As soon as he knows, he'll be there sooner than he would be." Tsunade's voice chimed in._

_"That's good to know. Hopefully, he'll be here in the next five minutes instead of next week like Sarutobi told me." Naruto said._

_"Well, he better not be doing his 'research' or I'll remove what defines him as a man!"_

_Even Kyuubi shuddered at the woman's threat. __**"And he wonders why he has problems with blondes."**__ he muttered._

xxxxx

While hiding on a large tree branch, Sasuke pulled the kunai out of his right leg so Sakura could heal him. "That wound's deep, but it won't take me long to heal it." she said as she healed him, but quickly found her mouth covered by Sasuke's hand.

'Gotta move. Gotta get away from her. But how? Where?' he thought as he looks around for the attacking ninja.

Sakura blinked as she stared at the panic-stricken boy. 'Man, I've never seen Sasuke like this.' She then saw a shadow overtake them and found the owner of it. She quickly warned Sasuke in the nick of time and they jumped away before becoming the meal of a large snake.

Sasuke gasped as he watched the snake with his Sharingan. "Unbelievable, I didn't even notice it. I'm losing it!" he berated himself while still in mid-jump.

Sakura landed on a nearby branch while Sasuke went farther away from her and the snake. The snake slithered around the tree and tried to eat Sasuke. While the snake lunges toward him, he saw the grass ninja's face and panicked. "AHH! No, stay away!" he shouted before throwing six shuriken at the snake, landing in its open maw. The snake hissed in pain before toppling over.

Sasuke panted on a high tree branch as he watched the dead snake's corpse lay there. He and Sakura gasped when they saw it crack and the grass ninja emerged from it. "I sense your fear and desperation." said the grass ninja as she rose from the snake's corpse. "It's only natural. The prey must never let down its guard, not even for a moment, in the presence of its predator." After a maniacal laugh, she lunged forward, stretching her body and slithering like a snake toward Sasuke.

She stopped before he lost her head, courtesy of a giant shuriken. She looked in the direction the shuriken came from and didn't see anyone throw it, but felt a massive killing intent aimed right for her. A second or two later, over fifty kunai and shuriken came flying towards her. Behind them, four more giant shuriken came flying towards her. A second later, each one of the giant throwing stars became fifty, shocking her, Sasuke and Sakura. The grass kunoichi was surrounded by all sides. She was struck by each of the weapons, creating a massive dust cloud. Once it cleared, only a chopped up log was there. Even the weapons have disappeared.

A moment later, a loud bang was heard and the grass ninja came flying towards a tree, slamming into it. From the direction of the sound emerged a pissed off Naruto. Shino and Kiba appeared where Sasuke and Sakura were and escorted them out of the area.

"So it _is_ you. No wonder a snake tried to eat me." Naruto said to the kunoichi. "Now, it's time to die, you traitor!"

"I don't know what you're talking abo-" the ninja tried to say before she was interrupted by a glaring Naruto.

"Save the excuses! I know who you are, _Orochimaru_." He growled the ninja's name like it was venom.

The grass ninja smirked before dropping 'her' façade. "So, you're Naruto Uzumaki? At last, we finally meet." said Orochimaru, using his real voice.

"Yes, we finally do." Naruto said politely before shifting gears. "I would say it's an honor to meet one of the Legendary Sannin, but you don't deserve that title anymore."

Orochimaru chuckled. "Such insolence. You should really learn to respect your superiors."

"Really? You, one of my superiors? Tch, that'll be the day." Naruto remarked with a smile.

"Well, let me remind why I'm a sannin." said Orochimaru extending pointing his arm at him. "Striking Shadow Snake!" From his arm, snakes slithered out and lunged at Naruto.

Naruto scowled as he stared down the snakes. "Don't toy with me." he growled as he reeled back his flame-covered right fist. "Fire Style: Blazing Gale!" With a punch, a funnel of fire soared through the air and turned the snakes to ash. Orochimaru easily dodged the stream of flames before having to dodge a blast of chakra sent at him by Hinata.

Hinata narrowed her eyes as she readied her clan's long-range jutsu: Eight Trigrams: Air Palm. She thrust her palm at Orochimaru, sending a blast of chakra at him. It missed again, but it slammed into a tree trunk. She then decided on a different tactic. Flashing through hand signs, she ended on 'saru'. "Lightning Style: Fierce Shockwave!" she exclaimed as lightning arched between her index and middle fingers. She aimed her left hand at Orochimaru and watched as a bolt of lightning shot at him with a loud thunderclap.

The snake sannin rolled out of the way of the lightning bolt before leaping over a second one. Then, the sky darkened and thunder can be heard all over the forest. The forest howled ominously as several leaves fell off the branches. Orochimaru looked around, observing his surroundings, but then had to dodge a larger lightning bolt from above... then another... and another...

'What is going on here? No way a pair of gennin can summon lightning from the sky.' the man figured. He then sensed chakra all around him and figured out that it was a genjutsu. However, when he tried to release it, not only did it not work, but three bolts of lightning struck where he once stood. 'That didn't work like I thought it would.'

Hidden in the trees, Tsuki Youko is silently giggling to herself. **'That's right, Orochimaru. You can't break one of our Fox Illusions.'** she smirked as Hinata's shadow clones kept using the Fierce Shockwave while Naruto's clones kept them powered. **'Now for my part of the plan. Leaf Shuriken!'**

Orochimaru, for his part, is getting annoyed. He tried to find the two brats, but the chakra in the area is too thick to locate them. To make matters worse, he can't hide due to the lightning striking at him whenever he stands still for even a second. And if that wasn't bad enough, the leaves that were once falling are now flying at him. And they are each as sharp as shuriken!

'What is going on here? It's like the entire forest is attacking me!' He then spotted something blue in the trees and threw a kunai at it. Before it could hit whatever it was, it was sliced in half by an invisible force.

Tsuki fought back a sigh as Hinata used the Wind Sword to stop Orochimaru's kunai from hitting her.

A cry of "Wind Cutter!" was all the sannin heard before he was forced to dodge an arc of sharp wind that was aimed at him. What surprised him was that it cut straight through a tree before it slammed into the ground.

As the sky cleared up, Orochimaru looked around and spotted five individuals glaring at him with the full intention of ending his life.

Standing in the middle is Tsuki Youko in her true form. To her right is Naruto Uzumaki wielding Fuukiri and to her left is Hinata Hyuuga wielding Suibi. Flanking them are Anko Mitarashi, special jounin and proctor for the second exam, and Yuki Youko, mate of the Kyuubi no Youko.

xxxxx

A/N: Time Freeze! Wow, it actually worked! Alright! Anyway, I'm stopping right here so I can plan out the rest of this battle. I mean, this is a big battle. I have to do it right the first time. Well, while you wait, please read and review and tell me what you think their fates might be. You can post it in a review if you want. I'll announce at the end of next chapter who all got what right.

Changes from before: A noticeable change is that I removed Naruto's interaction with Anko. I saw no reason to put it in here this time around and figured that he would be silent and simply watch while others ask the questions he was wondering. Another change is that I altered the scene where Naruto captured the rain ninjas. Originally, it was just one, but I chose to include the other two as well. I'll include the fight scene where he fought them next chapter as an extended scene while I include in this chapter the original scene where he fought only one of them and how it turned out in the original.

Translations:

Mi: Snake; Hold your hands together with the fingers interlocked.  
Saru: Monkey; Hold your hands flat against each other with the right hand over the left.

Response Corner:

sashu: I'm glad you think that... on both issues you addressed. I, too, find the lack of reviews a little saddening. I was actually hoping for at least one hundred reviews by the time chapter fifteen was posted. Now I'm hoping for at least one hundred by the time I post chapter twenty.

UltimateFanJob123: While your review is for the fourth chapter, I'm placing my response in this one. Now, while I know that Kishimoto translates the Byakugan as 'All-Seeing Eyes', that is actually the translation seen in the manga and not the actual literal translation, 'White Eyes', which is what I use. When it comes to translations, I try to keep my list as up to date as possible. That way, there are no errors. I also use only the literal translations. That's where I stand on that.

notgonnasay09: Of course that chapter turned out dull. The first part of the Chūnin Exams is dull to begin with. Even I can't spruce it up to make it interesting... unless I completely overhaul it, changing it to something completely different. While I could do it, I didn't want to as I saw no point... that and I didn't know what test to use.

Starfire99: There is a reason only one of the three vixens was allowed to accompany Naruto for the Chūnin Exams. And yes, I know Hana was able to bring the Haimaru Brothers with her. This will actually be addressed later in the arc.

xxxxx

A/N: Well, as promised, this deleted scene is what happened in the first run of this story between Naruto and one of the rain ninjas. Remember, there was only one of them that attacked and that at the time, Sakura was not Naruto's girlfriend. This scene has not been altered for the sake of the readers.

**Deleted Scene:**

While Naruto's clone just met up with his destination, Naruto's senses were a buzz. "Um, guys?"

"What is it, Naruto?" Sasuke asks curiously.

"Could you wait here for a sec. I-I gotta make a pitstop." he said, smiling sheepishly.

"Fine, but don't take too long." Sakura told him.

"Don't worry, I won't." Naruto assured her as he walked behind a tree.

A minute later, they hear his voice. "Hey Sasuke, come over here!"

"What's wrong, did you forget how to go?" he joked without dropping his face of indifference.

"No, but I found a fish that wandered too close to a bear."

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow and begins to walk over to Naruto's location when he stopped, remembering Sakura. "Wait here. This won't take long." And with that, he disappeared into the foliage.

A moment later, "Sakura, get over here quick! You gotta see what the bear caught." Sasuke's voice rang from the trees.

"But Naruto's ove..." she tried to say, but was interrupted.

"It was a ploy to trick the fish. Now get over here and help us out!" Naruto's voice chimed in.

Sakura warily followed her teammates' voices and saw them both leaning against different trees. Smirks painted on their faces as they watch their catch struggle. It was a rain ninja in a beige jumpsuit with some kind of metal mask over his nose and mouth. Sakura's eyebrow goes up as she see him struggle and complain.

"Sakura, he won't shut up long enough for us to search him. You mind putting him to sleep for us?" Naruto asked her kindly and politely. "Oh, and there's no need for you to be gentle." She could tell by the way he said it that he doesn't want her to be gentle and to take the subtle approach. But before she could though, their 'fish' decided to anger the cherry blossom, earning him a one-way trip to dreamland, courtesy of Sakura's fist. Naruto places an hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Rule number one: Never anger our cherry blossom. It's bad for your health." Naruto stated while his teammates smirked and nodded in agreement.

While Sakura decided to keep watch in case of an ambush, the boys get to work. They didn't find a scroll, so they took all of his gear and divided it amongst themselves. There were fourteen shuriken, nine kunai, five double-sided kunai, three smoke bombs, seven paper bombs and fifty feet of wire. Naruto took the smoke bombs, two paper bombs, six shuriken and seven kunai, saying that he'll need more for something he has planned. Sasuke took the remaining shuriken and the wire, saying he knows of a way to use them. Sakura takes the two remaining kunai, the double-sided kunai and the remaining paper bombs. They then hid their prey in a hollow tree stump. They covered him with leaves, dirt and branches and packed it down tight so he won't escape easily. Sakura then uses a genjutsu to hide him even more by placing a bush in front of him. Afterwards, they walked away and continued their trek through the forest.

xxxxx

To be continued!


	19. Arc 3 Chapter 5

**The Kitsune and the Neko**

"Talking"  
'Thoughts'  
**Inner/Demon/Deity/Dire Beast  
**_Flashback/Mind Link_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Arc 3: The Ch****ū****nin Exams  
Chapter 5: A Forest of Nightmares Part 2**

"So it _is_ you. No wonder a snake tried to eat me." Naruto said to the kunoichi. "Now, it's time to die, you traitor!"

"I don't know what you're talking abo-" the ninja tried to say before she was interrupted by a glaring Naruto.

"Save the excuses! I know who you are, _Orochimaru_." He growled the ninja's name like it was venom.

The grass ninja smirked before dropping 'her' façade. "So, you're Naruto Uzumaki? At last, we finally meet." said Orochimaru, using his real voice.

"Yes, we finally do." Naruto said politely before shifting gears. "I would say it's an honor to meet one of the Legendary Sannin, but you don't deserve that title anymore."

Orochimaru chuckled. "Such insolence. You should really learn to respect your superiors."

"Really? You, one of my superiors? Tch, that'll be the day." Naruto remarked with a smile.

"Well, let me remind why I'm a sannin." said Orochimaru extending pointing his arm at him. "Striking Shadow Snake!" From his arm, snakes slithered out and lunged at Naruto.

Naruto scowled as he stared down the snakes. "Don't toy with me." he growled as he reeled back his flame-covered right fist. "Fire Style: Blazing Gale!" With a punch, a funnel of fire soared through the air and turned the snakes to ash. Orochimaru easily dodged the stream of flames before having to dodge a blast of chakra sent at him by Hinata.

Hinata narrowed her eyes as she readied her clan's long-range jutsu: Eight Trigrams: Air Palm. She thrust her palm at Orochimaru, sending a blast of chakra at him. It missed again, but it slammed into a tree trunk. She then decided on a different tactic. Flashing through hand signs, she ended on 'saru'. "Lightning Style: Fierce Shockwave!" she exclaimed as lightning arched between her index and middle fingers. She aimed her left hand at Orochimaru and watched as a bolt of lightning shot at him with a loud thunderclap.

The snake sannin rolled out of the way of the lightning bolt before leaping over a second one. Then, the sky darkened and thunder can be heard all over the forest. The forest howled ominously as several leaves fell off the branches. Orochimaru looked around, observing his surroundings, but then had to dodge a larger lightning bolt from above... then another... and another...

'What is going on here? No way a pair of gennin can summon lightning from the sky.' the man figured. He then sensed chakra all around him and figured out that it was a genjutsu. However, when he tried to release it, not only did it not work, but three bolts of lightning struck where he once stood. 'That didn't work like I thought it would.'

Hidden in the trees, Tsuki Youko is silently giggling to herself. **'That's right, Orochimaru. You can't break one of our Fox Illusions.'** she smirked as Hinata's shadow clones kept using the Fierce Shockwave while Naruto's clones kept them powered. **'Now for my part of the plan. Leaf Shuriken!'**

Orochimaru, for his part, is getting annoyed. He tried to find the two brats, but the chakra in the area is too thick to locate them. To make matters worse, he can't hide due to the lightning striking at him whenever he stands still for even a second. And if that wasn't bad enough, the leaves that were once falling are now flying at him. And they are each as sharp as shuriken!

'What is going on here? It's like the entire forest is attacking me!' He then spotted something blue in the trees and threw a kunai at it. Before it could hit whatever it was, it was sliced in half by an invisible force.

Tsuki fought back a sigh as Hinata used the Wind Sword to stop Orochimaru's kunai from hitting her.

A cry of "Wind Cutter!" was all the sannin heard before he was forced to dodge an arc of sharp wind that was aimed at him. What surprised him was that it cut straight through a tree before it slammed into the ground.

As the sky cleared up, Orochimaru looked around and spotted five individuals glaring at him with the full intention of ending his life.

Standing in the middle is Tsuki Youko in her true form. To her right is Naruto Uzumaki wielding Fuukiri and to her left is Hinata Hyuuga wielding Suibi. Flanking them are Anko Mitarashi, special jounin and proctor for the second exam, and Yuki Youko, mate of the Kyuubi no Youko.

"Hello, sensei. Fancy meeting you here after ten long years." Anko's greeting was not too friendly and only Orochimaru and Yuki weren't shocked that she was once the rogue sannin's student.

'Mom never told me this.' Naruto thought to himself as he glanced at the woman. Weeks ago, Kushina showed him what her three students looked like and only after seeing Anko earlier today did he realize that she is one of the kunoichis his mother trained for a year before becoming pregnant with him.

"Ah, Anko. Long time no see." Orochimaru spoke smoothly. "It's sad that it couldn't be on better terms, but it's still so nice to see you."

"Yeah, well the feeling isn't mutual." Anko responded with a hard glare. "You're an S-class criminal; top of the most wanted list. You've got to be taken down and it's only fitting that _I'm_ the one to do it." She then armed herself with four senbon between the fingers of her right hand. "Besides, you were never a true sensei to me anyway. Just another puppet you led by the strings."

"And for that, we shall kill you." Yuki chimed in before materializing a bow of youki. The weapon looked to be specifically made for her as it bore on the front the kanji for both ice above the grip and fox below the grip.

Orochimari, while intrigued, had to dodge an arrow of youki fired at him from the fox-woman before dodging the four senbon thrown by his former student. "What an interesting jutsu you have there. Mind telling me what it is?" he questioned.

"Actually, I do mind." was Yuki's answer followed by a volley of youki-based arrows. 'No way am I telling you about the Spirit Bow and Arrow.'

Naruto and Tsuki, fed up with sitting on the sidelines doing nothing, jumped into the fray. Tsuki lashed out with her body covered in foxfire while Naruto threw a flaming kick at the sannin. Both attacks were easily dodged by the man, who's still dodging arrows.

He then leaped over both twelve-year-olds as Anko flew at him with a kick if her own, only for it to miss. She quickly turned around and threw a series of punches and kicks at the criminal. She was angered when her blows either missed or were blocked, but it only made her fight harder.

Watching the sannin toy with Anko, Naruto hopped onto Tsuki's back and rubbed under her jaw; a sign for their collaboration jutsu. She dashed into position, keeping in mind the position of everyone while trying to stay on Orochimaru's blind side... or where she thought it would be. After Naruto formed a few hand signs, he placed his hands on her shoulders while she focused on one of the few jutsu she can only use in her true form. **'Here we go. ****Ice Style: Crystal Bullet!'** she mentally called out before firing a ball of ice from her mouth.

Distracted from being triple-teamed, he was unable to dodge the attack effectively, even though he sensed it coming. It exploded against the branch he was standing on, destroying that part of it and sending shards of ice everywhere. Due to his proximity, he was pelted by the shards, but only a few of them managed to cut him. He was now angry. His original target was missing and he had to deal with five individuals of varying skill levels instead of three weak gennin and a little fox. And since he knew that they're stalling until reinforcements arrive, he decided to, at least, receive some kind of consolation from the whole ordeal.

His mind made up, he appeared in front of Naruto and Tsuki at such speeds that they were completely startled. He then planted his fist into the boy's gut, but was caught off guard when the boy suddenly exploded.

"We're not that easy to catch, snake." Naruto's voice echoed throughout the area as he and Tsuki hid in the trees. They were barely able to pull off that counter. It took them two seconds to not only switch with a log each, but to make a clone and have them switch with the logs. Naruto's clone was rigged to explode once destroyed, as he felt that Orochimaru would attack him, if for nothing else than to separate him from the three-tailed vixen.

Suddenly, he felt something very sharp bite him in the neck. The searing pain caused his body to lock up and for him to drop Fuukiri. He and Tsuki looked back, only to find Orochimaru with his neck completely stretched out. But what disturbed them the most was that he was biting him, similar to how some animals and demons stake their claim on a mate.

xxxxx

Inside the seal, Kyuubi was outraged. He could feel something invading the kit's body and worked hard to not only isolate it, but also purge it before it could take root, making it almost impossible to remove. **'Don't worry, kit. I got it covered.'** he thought to himself as he fought off the foreign, yet strangely familiar, energy.

As soon as that thought left his mind, he heard a series of words that not only enraged him further, but unknowingly sealed his friend's fate.

xxxxx

"And now, to make sure that my new pet is properly tamed." Orochimaru spoke as his body walked over to where his head is. Once he was over to where Naruto and Tsuki are, he promptly kicked the vixen hard enough to knock her out before summoning dozens of snakes to delay the other three from getting to Naruto. He wasn't quite finished yet.

As the snakes stalled for time, Orochimaru lifted Naruto's shirt and saw the Fourth Hokage's seal on his stomach. 'There it is; the sealing spell that binds the Nine-Tails.' he mused as he stared at it. 'It would be a pain if it decided to meddle in my plans, so I better take care of it now.' He then gripped his right wrist with his left hand as purple fire, each with the kanji for one of the five main elements, blazed to life on his fingertips. "Five-Pronged Seal!" he called out as he slammed the flames onto the outer edges of the seal, causing the weakened boy to scream in pain. As he expected, a seal made up of five tomoe formed over the Fire Shadow's seal.

However, what he didn't expect was for the boy's pain to increase as well as the temperature to rapidly increase. It suddenly felt like a sauna. 'What's going on? How is this boy doing this?' the sannin wondered, realizing that what he did to Naruto has somehow triggered something within the boy... though for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what.

That's when he was suddenly blasted back by a massive shockwave as the boy released another pain-filled scream. The shockwave was so powerful, everyone in the village felt it.

xxxxx

Kakashi, Kurenai and Asuma were chatting about their squads at a café when they were suddenly knocked out of their chairs by a shockwave that shook the very ground beneath them.

"What was that?" Asuma wondered as he looked around, noticing that everyone in the area felt the tremor.

"I don't know, but we better find out." Kakashi replied as he made a clone to pay for their meals before dashing off in the direction of the largest chakra signature they could find, which they figured was the cause of the tremor.

xxxxx

Kouen and Ginko were playing Poker to pass the time when they felt the entire house shake.

"What the hell?" Kouen exclaimed.

Ginko wondered the same thing until she felt a sharp pull at her heart. 'Naruto!' she mentally screamed before grabbing her sister's hand and dashing out the house.

"Ginko, what's going on?" Kouen asked.

"It's Naruto. Something's wrong, I just know it!" Ginko replied as she picked up the pace.

Kouen's mood shifted as she sent a shadow clone to lock up the house.

xxxxx

Haku was busy meditating on a lake as melon-sized orbs of water orbited around him. He was shaken from his concentration when the shockwave passed by, causing him to fall into the lake.

After getting out, he looked in the direction he suddenly felt a powerful energy spike coming from. Narrowing his eyes, he darted in that direction while drying himself from his impromptu bath.

xxxxx

Hiruzen Sarutobi was currently relaxing in his office after finishing his paperwork when the shockwave passed by, shaking the entire tower. "What the hell?" The hidden ANBU sprung into action and guarded their leader, figuring it was some kind of attack.

"ANBU, scatter and check on the village! See if anyone was hurt from that tremor!" the Hokage ordered before pulling out his crystal ball. 'Now, to find out what the hell happened...' It took him only a moment to find the cause and he was shocked at what he saw. 'I-Impossible... But... i-it's way too soon for this!'

What he saw... was Naruto surrounded in light red-orange flames.

xxxxx

Naruto doesn't know what the hell just happened. But what he does know is that Orochimaru was responsible for both the pain and whatever this feeling was inside him. All he wanted now was one thing... and he will get it!

He glared at the sannin before subconsciously willing Fuukiri back to his hand, along with separating Hinata from Suibi. "Cooked snake anyone?" he spoke with a sadistic grin on his face before he flew at the sannin and swung Fuukiri at him.

For the first time in a very long time, Orochimaru was nervous. He has never seen anyone wield this much power before. Hell, some of his greatest foes had less power! However, what really worried him was the flames the boy was surrounded in. He has only seen one creature wield these unusual flames, but they haven't been seen in over a decade.

He was pulled from this line of thought when he had to dodge the boy's katana. His worry grew when he saw it slice through the tree that was behind him, causing it to fall. 'I've wasted enough time as it is. I've got to escape!' was the only thought that ran through his mind before sinking into the ground while the boy fought his mud clone.

Once it was destroyed, Orochimaru decided to leave a few parting words behind. "Well done, Naruto. I'm impressed with how strong you are. I've truly underestimated you; and for that, I've left you with a little gift. Grow strong and seek me out when you want more power. Oh, and Sarutobi-sensei? I know you're watching us right now. No matter what, make sure no one stops the exams early. If anything happens to deprive me of my fun, it will mean the end of the Leaf Village. Farewell..."

xxxxx

In his office, Sarutobi growled and cursed himself for making such a huge mistake regarding the snake sannin. And that one mistake has endangered one of his strongest gennin.

xxxxx

Two hours later, Sasuke, Sakura, Shino, Kiba and Akamaru managed to locate their comrades as they were recovering from Orochimaru's attack. They ran into squads nine and ten along the way and asked for them to stay back and guard the area while they check on their teammates. To their shock, they found Hinata tending to an injured, unconscious and whimpering Naruto. Sakura looked around for the blue-furred fox and found her missing.

"What happened?" Sakura asked, wanting some answers.

Hinata looked up and motioned for them to sit down. "That grass kunoichi was Orochimaru in disguise. Apparently, he branded Naruto with some kind of strange mark and sealed up most of his chakra. I did all that I could, but only an experienced medical ninja can help him." she explained.

"O-Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin!" Kiba paled, remembering all the stories he heard about him. Akamaru whimpered in fear just by hearing the man's name.

"Why would he attack Naruto? And where's Tsuki?" Shino wondered.

"I don't know for sure why Orochimaru targeted Naruto." Hinata replied. "As for Tsuki, she was taken home due to the injuries she sustained."

"Well, I guess we should take guard duty while you watch over Naruto." Sasuke said before standing up. "Sakura, stay here with Hinata and tend to him. The rest of us will go set up some traps. We can't leave with Naruto as he is. No way we'll make it out of here alive if we have to guard him in his current condition."

Shino and Kiba nodded while Akamaru barked before they left to set up traps to protect the group while Naruto recovered from whatever the snake sannin did to him.

While Sakura and Hinata felt a little better about the three boys staying to protect their prone boyfriend, they were still very worried. Hinata neglected to mention that Anko explained that Orochimaru branded Naruto with a Curse Mark, which apparently taints the bearer while subjecting them to Orochimaru's control. Yuki mentioned that Naruto also has the Five-Pronged Seal over the seal that binds her mate, thus cutting off his youki to the boy and preventing him from helping their future son-in-law. While the fox-woman is skilled in seals, she could not remove it and said that only the Hokage or one of the sannin can remove it, or at least that's what Jiraiya told her. She then left to tend to Tsuki, who had a large gash when the snakes swarmed her prone form before she froze them.

To make matters worse, neither woman knew what those strange flames were and even Neko was oddly silent about it. Hinata could hear the nekomata muttering something along the lines of irony and 'a sick joke from her master' among other things, such as skinning Orochimaru before slow roasting him over a hellfire grill and feeding him to her minions, soul and all. Hinata shivered at how angry the empress is right now.

xxxxx

"HE DID WHAT?" came the thundering yell of a very angry blonde as she nearly destroyed the building she was in from what the messenger just told her.

**"Please calm down, Lady Tsunade. It won't help for you to get upset over the matter."** the messenger, a bird the size of a raven with crimson feathers and golden eyes, spoke in a firm, feminine voice.

Tsunade sighed as Shizune and another woman let go of her. "I'm sorry, Kurai. I shouldn't have done that." she said, now much calmer than she was a moment ago. "But when I see Orochimaru again, I will turn him into a red stain on the ground!"

"Lady Tsunade, please calm down. We can't do anything right now." Shizune reasoned with her mistress. "If we do, we'll lose our patients."

"And we can't let that happen. Kou called you here to help them as she wants them up and back to their old selves before someone learns that they're here." the other woman reminded the medical sannin. She has neck-length brown hair and brown eyes that, while gentle in appearance, have seen a lot of blood in her lifetime.

Tsunade sighed. "Okay, Rou. But I want to be the one who breaks it to Kou. We all know how much she loves the kid."

Kurai sighed. **"She's not going to like this, nor is my queen."** she muttered.

"We know." Rou seconded. "Is the one your captain recommended in the area?"

**"Yes. She's currently watching over him as we speak. She'll make contact with him when he is both awake and alone, though I doubt the latter will happen anytime soon."** Kurai replied. **"Oh, and make sure you tell Lady Kou that **_**it**_** has happened."**

"Already? But I thought it wouldn't happen for another year or two, three at the most?" Rou asked with a shocked look on her face.

Kurai shrugged. **"This is what **_**she**_** has observed, though she's not sure if it has or if it's only partially. But we must assume that it has and prepare him for what's to come. Even if it hasn't, the boy is in even greater danger now that he released that flare, even if it was both unintentional and forced because of Orochimaru."**

The three women nodded, which only caused their worries to grow.

xxxxx

Back in the Forest of Death, Sasuke is currently guarding a massive tree with a large cavity at the base of its trunk. Inside the cavity are Sakura and Hinata, still looking after an unconscious Naruto. Guarding the prone shinobi and the two kunoichis are Shino, Kiba and Akamaru. They've decided that one would patrol the area, another would guard the others while the last one rested up before they would switch every hour. Squads nine and ten have set up a perimeter to either prevent or delay anyone from attacking them. And if someone managed to sneak past them, they won't escape without a fight.

As he rounded and inspected a tree, he thought about what all happened. Hinata told him in private that Orochimaru was originally after him and branded Naruto with something that would try to force him to obey the S-class traitor. Sasuke easily pieced together that Orochimaru wanted him for his Sharingan and only targeted Naruto in the hopes that he would help him get his real target. While Hinata knew that Naruto would never help the rogue sannin, Sasuke figured that if that mark wasn't taken care of, Naruto wouldn't have much of a choice on the matter. While he didn't like the blond maelstrom, he respected him as a fellow shinobi, though he would never vocally admit to it. Yuki told him that he needs to follow his mother's example and not his father's. When asked how the woman knew his parents, she replied that she was friends with Mikoto while she found Fugaku to be both arrogant and annoying. Before he could retort, Yuki told him that she knew Naruto's mother as well and she too never got along with Fugaku. In fact, the woman outright hated him for hurting her friends out of jealousy. While it confused Sasuke, he knew that his father was very competitive and loathed several of the village ninja, such as the Fourth Hokage for besting him in just about everything. He had no idea his father had problems with someone who isn't a Hyuuga or a Senju other than Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, or Kushina Tenshi, the Red Death of the Whirlpool. However, he dropped it when Yuki refused to answer his questions regarding Naruto's mother, seeing as it was none of his business.

He shook himself out of his thoughts and focused on his current objective: guarding Naruto until he wakes up so they can leave this forest. 'I hope you wake up soon, Naruto. I don't want to be here any longer than we have to.'

Back at camp, Naruto groaned in pain as Hinata held him close, keeping him warm with her body while waiting for his fever to break. She found it strange that he would get sick when his immune system is astounding due to Kyuubi. Then again, with Orochimaru sealing Kyuubi's power and branding him with a Curse Mark, she's shouldn't be surprised. 'I just wish I could help him.' Hinata thought somberly.

_**"So do I, kitten... but we can't at the moment."**__ Neko's voice gently echoed in the girl's mind. Due to the Curse Mark and the Five-Pronged Seal, there was nothing the demoness could do to help her potential mate. She can't even contact him or the bound Nine-Tails. __**"For now, we must tend to him and wait for him to awaken. We can help him more then."**_

Hinata nodded before facing Sakura and said, "I'm going to get some sleep. I'm a bit tired and I want to be well rested so I can watch him while you sleep."

Sakura nodded. "Okay, Hinata. Good night."

"Good night, Sakura."

And with that, Hinata fell asleep next to the love of her life.

xxxxx

Inside the seal, Hinata and Neko sat across from each other as they discussed the events of the day. As usual, Neko sat on a throne made of bones while Hinata sat on a lavender recliner. A coffee table was between the two females as they chatted.

"Neko, what kind of fire was that? I've never seen anything like it." Hinata asked as an image of Naruto engulfed in light red-orange flames showed up on the crystal ball that sat in the center of the table.

Neko pursed her lips in thought, wondering how to break it to her container. **"To be honest, I have seen them before and do know what they are, but I want to wait until Naruto wakes up before I decide to tell you."** she replied, but her thoughts went like this. **'That and it buys Kushina some time to tell her son the truth before I will, even if Kyuubi can't or won't help me.'**

"Why not, Lady Neko?" Hinata wondered.

**"Because it concerns Naruto and I know for a fact that his mother has seen it before."** was Neko's answer. **"It would be best for her to tell you two, but I don't know why she's hesitating."**

"What do you mean?" Now, Hinata's both dismayed and confused.

Neko sighed. **"There is a reason why Kushina hasn't told Naruto about many things, though some of them even I don't know. Regardless of what the reason is, she needs to tell him soon before he dies due to her hesitation to inform him of something that directly concerns him and his family."** She knew that she had said too much, but she hoped that Hinata could convince Kushina to stop hiding so many secrets from her only son and just tell him already.

"Him and his family? What are you talking about?" Hinata asked the empress.

**"I can't tell you, kitten. I don't know the whole story and while I can paint a nice portrait, I can't finish it without all of the colors."**

Hinata blinked at Neko, confused about what she just said. But then, she figured it out and understood that she doesn't have all the details and is missing some key facts, making her unsuitable to tell them what's going on and why Kushina wanted to wait before telling her son. She sighed and decided to leave the subject alone until she can talk to Kushina herself and find out why she refuses to tell Naruto what's going on. 'There must be more to it instead of waiting for Lady Tsunade to return.' she thought to herself.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, the tree that served as the leaf gennin's temporary base was being watched by three sound gennin.

The living mummy chuckled evilly as he spied on them. "Found you." he said before turning to the other two. "All right, just as Orochimaru ordered. We strike at daybreak, and remember, our targets are the Uchiha and the Uzumaki."

"Yeah, but if the others get in the way, it's alright if we take them out, right?" the other male sound ninja asked, completely bored.

"Of course."

xxxxx

A/N: And the plot thickens! They're not out of the woods yet and I have more in store for them. Don't worry, I won't keep you waiting for long. Now, please read and review. Oh, and Neko taught me how to get rid of hellfire-class flames. I'm glad too; those are super annoying!

Changes from before: Lots of changes were made from the previous version, if the last chapter was any indication. The fight against Orochimaru was completely redone and has a whole new outcome to it. Yes, Naruto has the Curse Mark and not Sasuke. This is for a good reason too. And yes, both the mark and the Five-Pronged Seal will hinder Naruto's skills until they are removed. The latter will be removed, but I won't say anything about the former for now. I have something special for that. Also, squads nine and ten are much closer to the weakened squads seven and eight, making the upcoming fight a bit more difficult to write while remaining believable. And since Orochimaru left the forest after branding Naruto, he didn't confront Anko alone and thus she wasn't weakened by her own Curse Mark.

And yes, Kyuubi and Neko knows what Kushina wants to tell Naruto, but neither has all the details. They're both missing a few key facts, making them unable to tell him the whole truth without missing anything vital. I've also added the scene with Tsunade to give her some story time, if not much at the moment. And yes, Kou has met Naruto before and knows him very well. I won't say anything about Rou for the moment.

Response Corner:

notgonnasay09: Once again, it is my attempt to distinguish my story from the norm. I hope you like this chapter and the fight scene in it. As for the Leaf Shuriken... So far, I have introduced three different types of wood style jutsu in this story. The First Hokage has one, the Uzumaki clan has another and the Kitsune clan has the third one. Tsuki's Leaf Shuriken uses her Fox Magic to make the leaves capable of cutting skin, though they aren't very sharp. The best they can do is a papercut. That said, the jutsu is more of a distraction than an offensive attack. The same can be said for some of the Kitsune clan's other jutsu that will appear in this story.

xxxxx

A/N: Well, as I promised last chapter, here is the extended scene including Naruto's fight against the rain ninjas.

**Extended Scene:**

Ten minutes later, Naruto's senses were a buzz. 'Something's wrong.' "Um, guys?"

"What is it, Naruto?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"Could you wait here for a sec? I-I gotta make a pit stop." he said, smiling sheepishly.

"Fine, but don't take too long." Sakura told him as Tsuki hopped onto her shoulder.

"Don't worry, I won't." Naruto assured her as he walked behind a tree.

As he continued walking, he knew that someone was watching him and his squad. And since he decided to give back to nature, he might as well follow through with his ploy.

Once he finally stopped, he pretended to be relieving himself when all of a sudden, three figures jumped him and tied him up.

"We got him." said one of them, though it was rather odd-sounding with the mask over his mouth.

"Now that he's out of the way, the other two will be easy pickings." said another, also odd-sounding due to his own mask.

"B-But then, w-what about me?" spoke a soft voice from behind the three attackers. They turned around and saw a young woman with long blonde hair and emerald eyes dressed in a tight navy blue top, a mesh undershirt, red-orange capri pants, a red-orange cargo vest, navy blue fingerless gloves, black high-heeled sandals and a leaf headband tied around her forehead. "Y-You're not going to l-leave me here in t-this f-forest, are you?"

The three foreign ninjas stared at the woman and noticed three things about her. One, she looks like an eighteen-year-old version of the boy they just captured. Two, she seems rather shy. And three, she is smoking hot. Even more so that her clothes are formfitting, so they can see her well-developed figure very well. "Oh, don't worry. We won't leave you in this forest. Will we, boys?" the third ninja spoke with a perverted glint in his eyes. The other two nodded, thinking along the lines of their partner.

The woman smiled beautifully at them. "Oh, thank you, gentlemen." she spoke heavenly. But then, she spotted Naruto and cried, "Naruto, are you okay?" She sped past the three ninjas, knocking them over, and picked up the younger blond, holding him in her arms. "You had me so worried!"

The three, now pissed, ninjas got up and stalked over towards the two blondes, the youngest they intend to kill while the eldest they intend to rape. But before they could do either, the two blondes turned around and swung a small folding fan each, blowing them away.

"You know, it's rude to think such perverted thoughts towards a woman." said the blonde woman before her age shifted to match Naruto's.

"Naruko, let's teach them not to look at women with such malicious and naughty eyes." Naruto spoke as they put their fans away.

The girl, revealed to be Naruko, smirked. "Yes, let's." The twins rushed the trio and kicked two of them between the legs before aiming a vicious hook punch at the third one. Each one crumpled over in pain before their vision went dark.

"Okay, now let's make like foxes and pilfer!" the two blondes said in unison before they stripped them of their gear. Once they were finished, Naruko handed Naruto the gear before she picked up one of the downed ninjas and threw him over to where Sasuke and Sakura are. She did the same with the other two before giving her male counterpart a hug and vanishing in a flash of light.

Naruto smiled as she hugged him, but replaced it with a annoyed look as she vanished. He did not like them staring at her like that. 'Well, time for some payback.' he thought to himself before strolling over towards his teammates.

Meanwhile, Sasuke, Sakura and Tsuki saw something flying toward them. It was a team of rain ninjas each garbed in beige jumpsuits with some kind of metal respirator. Sasuke and Sakura raised an eyebrow, noticing that they were knocked out and their gear were missing. Tsuki found it amusing.

"Geeze, can't a guy have a minute to relieve himself before getting ambushed?" said an annoyed Naruto as he strolled over and kicked one of the unconscious gennin in the head. "Sadly, they didn't have the scroll we needed, though their gear I think we should keep. Less work for us if they decide to return."

Sasuke smirked as Naruto made a clone to help them remove the rain ninjas from the exams. They picked them up, stripped them of their clothes, tied them up with some rope Naruto had on him and threw them behind a bush, and then burned their clothes. Sakura and Tsuki were fortunate that they turned away when the boys were doing this.

"So what all did they have on them?" Sakura asked her boyfriend.

As Naruto searched and sorted their ninja gear, he whistled at the amount of spoils. "Well, more or less typical ninja gear. They have shuriken, kunai, double-bladed kunai, smoke bombs, paper bombs and ninja wire." he replied as he looked though the holsters and pouches. "Which do you want more of?"

"Shuriken and ninja wire." said Sasuke.

"Kunai and paper bombs." said Sakura.

"Alright." Naruto nodded as he divvied up the ninja tools.

xxxxx

A/N: What should be noted is that I extended this scene after I finished this chapter. I felt that I should include what exactly happened just in case anyone was curious. And while I could have placed it in the last chapter, I simply didn't want to.

To be continued!


	20. Arc 3 Chapter 6

**The Kitsune and the Neko***

"Talking"  
'Thoughts'  
**Inner/Demon/Deity/Dire Beast  
**_Flashback/Mind Link_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Arc 3: The Chūnin Exams  
Chapter 6: A Forest of Nightmares Part 3**

It's dawn and Hinata woke up to the sound of Akamaru sleeping on top of her while Naruto remained unconscious in her arms. Looking around, she saw that Kiba was asleep, Shino was guarding the entrance and Sasuke was missing, meaning that he's patrolling the area. She also saw Sakura sleeping on the other side of her with one of her hands holding one of Naruto's.

Brushing a few blond locks from his face, Hinata lifted her hand to signal that she is awake. Shino gave a quick good morning, to which she replied in the same manner. "Anything?" she asked.

Shino pushed back his sunglasses. "We've detected a squad within the perimeter, but they have yet to reveal themselves nor make a move. They appear to be observing us."

"Any idea who they are?" Hinata was about to form the hand signs needed to activate her Byakugan, but Shino raised his hand to stop her.

"My spy reported that they are the team from the Sound Village. We don't know what they want, but they are keeping their distance." he explained. "Also, it is best that you conserve your energy. If they want a fight, you'll need to be at full strength so you can better protect your boyfriend."

Hinata nodded with a slight blush.

xxxxx

Hidden in the trees, Ino Yamanaka is watching the group with a pair of binoculars. As soon as she heard that squad seven was attacked by one of the sannin, she was deathly worried. On the way to where her friends are, they ran into trouble twice.

_After dispatching a squad of rain ninjas, Ino sealed their heaven scroll in her left arm while her squad's earth scroll is in her right arm. She really had to hand it to Jiraiya for teaching her and her friends basic sealing and how to place seals on their skin._

_"Okay boys, let's get moving." Ino said to her teammates. "We gotta get to Naruto and fast. I can almost feel that he's in trouble."_

_"How can you?" Chouji asked her._

_"Call it 'woman's intuition'." Ino replied with a playful wink._

_Shikamaru sighed. "Won't argue with that." he muttered... but then, he heard something. "Did you hear that?"_

_"Yeah... and I think it came from over there." Chouji said as he pointed in the direction he heard the faint sound from._

_"Shouldn't we ignore it? I mean, it could be a trap." Ino pointed out._

_"I agree with Ino on this. No way am I going over there." Shikamaru added._

_"That's only because you feel it's a waste of energy." Ino muttered under her breath._

_"There it is again. Quick, let's hide!" Chouji whispered to them before they hid in the trees._

_When they looked over at what made the noise, they saw the three sand gennin about to fight a squad from the Hidden Rain Village._

_"Why exactly are we watching them again?" Ino whispered to Shikamaru._

_"It's a drag, but we'll need to gather information on them." Shika whispered back._

_"Why?" Chouji quietly wondered._

_"Call it a hunch, but something about that Gaara guy has me nervous." was the Nara's answer. "I mean, how does someone complete a B-rank mission without receiving a single scratch? Something's not right here and I have a feeling that one of us will have to deal with him sooner or later."_

_'Hopefully, it's Naruto who deals with him.' Ino thought to herself. Now that her friend brought it up, she felt something off about the redhead from the Sand Village and knew that he was bad news. She has a strong feeling that out of the twelve of them, only Naruto can stand up to him._

_Their musings were soon broken when they saw one of the rain ninjas throw up a black umbrella. The umbrella then opened up and rained down a shower of senbon onto the sand ninjas. But to squad ten's confusion and amazement, not only did the three youths from the desert not move, but sand spewed out of the redhead's large gourd and surrounded him, effectively protecting him and his teammates from the senbon rainstorm. One thought ran through squad ten's minds. 'So that's how he managed to complete a B-rank without receiving a scratch.'_

_A moment later, sand surrounded the rain ninjas before the leaf gennin saw Gaara pick up the fallen umbrella, hold it up and mentioned something about raining blood. Then, the sand compressed around the rain ninjas, killing them instantly and spraying their blood everywhere._

Ino shivered at the thought of that Gaara kid killing them so mercilessly. She and her squad quickly fled and never looked back, only worried about escaping them should they pursue them. They were fortunate to run into squad nine a few minutes later. After explaining what they saw, even Lee shivered at the ruthlessness of Gaara.

Soon after that, they bumped into squads seven and eight and wondered where Naruto and Hinata went. They explained that a grass kunoichi ambushed squad seven and separated Naruto and Tsuki from them. After they returned, Hinata stayed behind while the others fled to get help.

Since they've arrived at their new location, they have kept an eye out for anyone foolish enough to enter the area. The two squads split up and covered three different locations along the perimeter. Lee was paired with Shikamaru, Tenten was paired with Chouji and Ino was paired with Neji.

Looking at the older Hyuuga, she saw his Byakugan active and scanning the area. "Anything new?" she asked.

"Nothing but the sound gennin." Neji replied.

"Have they made a move yet?" she wondered.

"Not yet. They're still observing them." he answered, but then frowned. "What's that?"

"What's what?" Ino looked at him and wondered what he saw.

"It looks like a bird, but it's not any kind of bird I've seen before." Neji explained.

"What does it look like?" Ino asked him.

"It's about the size of a raven with a long tailfeather." Neji described.

"That's not much to go on." Ino deadpanned, but then asked, "Where is it?"

"A few trees north of the group... and it seems to be watching them as well." the Hyuuga replied as he observed the strange bird.

"Do you think it's a summon?" Ino wondered.

"Perhaps. It does contain a lot of chakra, so it might be." Neji answered. He then tensed as he saw something. "The sound team are on the move."

xxxxx

Meanwhile, Shino's head turned slightly to see a rustling bush. Everyone was dead silent, not wanting to alert the intruder. Kiba and Akamaru woke up, but didn't move and the Inuzuka kept his eyes closed, feigning sleep for the moment. As their eyes gaze at the bush, a squirrel eating a nut emerged. Everyone had different reaction to this.

'A squirrel?' Sakura and Hinata thought with half-lidded eyes. Kiba thought the same thing as he looked with a half-opened eye, except he was slightly annoyed by the false alarm. Shino was impassive, as usual, but if one were to look closely, you could see his eyebrow slightly raised. Akamaru cocked his head to the side, wondering what is wrong with this squirrel. He smelled something foreign on it and quietly told Kiba about it. After he did, Kiba picked up the foreign scent too. His eyes opened instantly when he figured out what it was, then widened once he saw a paper bomb on the squirrel's back. Shino, Sakura and Hinata saw the tag as well. Quickly, Sakura threw a kunai to scare the advancing critter as Shino sent out a few beetles to peel the tag off and dispose of it.

xxxxx

Near their camp, the sound gennin watched their actions from afar.

"I thought for sure that would work. I can't believe they saw the paper bomb we put on the squirrel _and_ removed it." the tall male said in slight frustration. They've placed the tag on the squirrel and used it to infiltrate their camp. Once it did, they would ignite the bomb, blowing them all up.

"Hmm... it looks like we'll need to get closer." the mummy said.

"Huh, why's that?" the other boy asked.

"They might have something prepared for us, so let's go over there and find out what it is." he replied before chuckling evilly.

xxxxx

Back at camp, Naruto gasped slightly in pain due to the Curse Mark. Hinata checked on him and frowned. 'What is this mark doing to him?' she wondered. She looked at Sakura, who merely shrugged. Looking at the others, she noticed that Sasuke has returned.

"Some lookout. You haven't even spotted us." someone spoke, catching the group's attention. They looked in the direction the voice came from and saw the sound gennin in front of their camp.

"At least you don't have to keep watch anymore. What's the point after we already found you?" the seemingly 'brains of the bunch' said to them. "Now, wake Naruto up. We want to fight him... and you too, Sasuke."

'You'll never get him, you jerks.' Sakura thought angrily while her hand moved to her weapon holster. Sasuke, Kiba, Akamaru and Shino stood in front of the kunoichis and the puppy growled at them. "What do you want here? I mean, what do you really want? We know Orochimaru is calling the shots from the shadows." she demanded, shocking the three sound ninja and the rest of the group that doesn't know. Unbeknownst to them, Naruto flinched a little. "What's that strange mark on the back of Naruto's neck? You're behind this too, aren't you? And you want to fight him when he can't even defend himself?"

"What in the world could he be thinking?" the mummified boy thought aloud, but in a whisper that only he could hear.

"I can't stay quiet after hearing you talk to us like that. First, I'm gonna kill that bitch, then the others, and then I'm gonna kill Sasuke and Naruto." the tall boy said smirking before standing up on the rock he was on. Shino, Kiba, Sasuke, Sakura and Hinata readied themselves as Akamaru's growling intensified.

"Wait, Zaku." the ninja on the ground said to his partner.

The one called Zaku looked at him. "What? Why?" he asked.

The other boy took a few steps forward, kneeled down and touched the grass. "It's so obvious. This is the color of dirt that has recently been dug up. And this kind of grass doesn't grow in a place like this." he said, making Hinata grimace. "You know, if you're going to lay a trap, then there's no point unless you make sure it's actually hidden." Sakura began to sweat slightly.

"Hah, you're all just a joke. You threw that kunai so that squirrel wouldn't spring the trap you set, huh?" said Zaku.

The other boy's stood up and tilted his head to the side. "Now, we kill them." And with that, they lunged forward.

Suddenly, Sakura smirked as she drew a kunai and cut a wire that was tied to another kunai next to her.

"A log!" Zaku said in surprise as a large log came hurtling towards them.

"They also made a trap above? Watch out!" the other boy warned his teammates as the log came flying towards them. He put his right hand on the log while it's still moving. "Nice try." he said while making a half sign with his left hand. The log shattered into bits and the sound team was still coming towards them in the air. "Clearly, you all have no talent as ninja. People like you five need to make more of an effort, don't you think?"

"Leaf Hurricane!" a familiar voice yelled as he kicked the three sound ninjas in midair. He landed in front of the leaf gennin, falling into a fighting stance.

"Looks like you also need to make more of an effort." the boy said as his bowl-cut hair blew in the wind.

"Who are you?" the guy with the metal forearm said to the green spandex boy in front of him.

"I am the Handsome Devil of the Leaf Village, and my name is Rock Lee." Lee said to him.

"Perfect timing, Lee." said Sakura. "Are the others coming?"

"No. Shikamaru told me to go and assist. It looks like you might need it." he replied. He then smirked. "Though it's too bad. They'll miss all the fun."

Kiba and Sasuke matched his smirk as they took a fighting stance while Shino watched them carefully, ready to react at a moment's notice.

The mummified gennin pulled out the earth scroll that he was carrying. "It looks like I have no choice. Zaku, I'll let you have Sasuke." he said as he threw Zaku the scroll. "Kin, you take Naruto." The sound kunoichi grinned while Sakura and Hinata scowled. "I'll take care of these two."

Lee's eyes glanced behind him while he still faced his opponents. 'It doesn't look like Sakura or Lady Hinata are in any position to fight without leaving Naruto unprotected, even with Shino guarding him. Not only that, but Naruto still hasn't awakened yet.' he pondered before facing his opponent again. 'At the very least, we'll have to stall for time so they will be easier to defeat for the others.'

The one with the long sleeves pulled his right sleeve up, revealing the metal device on his forearm. "The guy with the bushy eyebrows is pretty good in taijutsu. Looks like I get to have some fun." he said before charging towards the Handsome Devil. Sakura threw her kunai at him, forcing him to jump into the air. Lee then slammed his fist into the ground and pulled out some roots, using them as a shield to block the sound ninja's attack.

"I am positive that there is some kind of trick to your attacks; therefore I will not waste my time trying to dodge it. After all, I have seen your jutsu before." Lee proclaimed. On his way here, he saw the log being destroyed, meaning that the device on the mummified gennin's arm has some kind of ability.

Zaku merely smirked as he watched them battle it out.

'He's tough.' Sasuke and Kiba thought, awed by Lee's strength. Sakura and Hinata remembered seeing Naruto's strength when he not only kicked Zabuza's Executioner's Blade, but caught it as well. Seeing Lee pull up roots from the ground shows that he is about as physically strong, if not stronger, than their blond maelstrom.

'Of course, having said that, our odds still are not good, since we are a bit fatigued while they are fresh. I have to take a chance.' Lee thought as he quickly sized up the competition. 'One at a time. I will attack them with all my might!'

xxxxx

Not far from the action, the five leaf gennin are closing in on their comrades. They already know that Lee, Sasuke, Kiba and Shino can handle themselves, but it's better to be safe than sorry. They pushed that aside as they sped up, hoping to get to their fellow teammates before the odds somehow tip out of their favor.

As they dashed through the trees, Neji and Tenten suddenly recalled a memory several months back.

_"Yes, I did it! I finally master the jutsu!" Rock Lee cheered after splitting a log in two with his new jutsu._

_"Enough resting! You're wasting your precious gifted youth!" Might Guy said as he watched Lee jump and dance about while Tenten and Neji were panting. Neji wasn't too thrilled when Lee did something he couldn't. 'This jutsu... In the end, only Lee could make it his own.' Guy started calling Lee's name, but it didn't get through because of Lee's cheering. He even shouted his name, but Lee just ignored him. Then..._

_"QUIET!" Guy yelled as he slugged his fellow taijutsu specialist in the face. As Lee struggled to get up, Guy said what he was trying to tell him. "Now listen to your sensei's awesome message."_

_"Yes." Lee replied, shedding tears before looking at his sensei. "I am ready to hear your amazing wisdom, sir."_

_Neji and Tenten were shocked at what just happened, mostly Tenten. Her jaw hit the ground while her eyes went tiny. Neji, on the other hand, had an annoyed look as his eyes were closed._

_Judging by their silence, Guy spoke. "This new jutsu... The Lotus technique is now forbidden." His students was shocked, but Lee took it the hardest._

_"What do you mean? Why?" the boy asked while stumbling to his feet and darting towards his teacher._

_"This jutsu... it puts a huge strain on your body's muscles. It's a self-sacrificing technique." Guy explained, confusing Lee for a bit. "Normally, humans only use, at most, twenty percent of their muscle's strength. Do you understand, only about twenty percent? If all the power were to be used, the muscles would disintegrate. So the brain regulates the amount of power the muscles can exert. But this jutsu is different. It uses chakra, which forces the brain to go past its limit, allowing for continuous high-speed taijutsu. In other words, this jutsu relies on a secret technique that brings forth power almost to the limits of the human body. So you see, it's very dangerous." He paused so they can all absorb this information in. "There's one time this jutsu should be used, when a particular condition is met."_

_"Yes, I see. So what is the condition, sir?" Lee asked as he saluted Guy. Both Tenten and Neji listened with great interest._

_"Are you ready? You all need to take this to heart." Guy replied to them. "The condition is..."_

'The condition is...' Neji and Tenten repeated in their minds as they remembered what Guy had told them about the Lotus and hoped that Lee doesn't do anything foolish. But then again, they know that he will without them there to stop him.

xxxxx

Lee started to unravel the bandages on his hands and forearms a bit as he thought, 'Guy-sensei, I have to use the Lotus now. The condition has been met. I must use the jutsu!' The metal-armed ninja charged toward Lee as he saw him do a half sign and then said, "To protect the life of someone precious!" Lee vanished in front of the ninja's eyes, shocking him briefly before he felt his chin colliding with Lee's foot. Lee's kick launched him into the air, then, using his right hand that's on the ground, he springboarded into the air and into a position familiar to Hinata. "Not yet!" he said from behind the sound ninja. Lee's bandages started to wrap around his target and tied up his hands. Lee gripped his forearms, ensnaring his opponent before dive-bombing towards the ground, head first.

"Oh no, Dosu! There's no way he can break his fall." Zaku said before starting a chain of hand signs.

Seeing this, Sasuke threw some shuriken at him, but they were deflected by Kin.

"Take this!" Lee said as he started spinning Dosu around, becoming a plummeting missile. "Primary Lotus!" he yelled.

Zaku finished his hand signs and slammed his hands into the ground. From his hands came a long track extending to the point where Lee and Dosu were to hit the ground. Once they did, it created a big dust cloud. Lee released himself and leaped away at the last second. Once the cloud cleared away, they all saw Dosu standing, head down into the ground. For some reason, when Lee looked back, he wasn't satisfied with his work. It was almost like something was wrong. 'What is this feeling?' he asked himself in his mind.

"Hah, gotcha just in time." Zaku said. "That impact could've been much worse for you."

Once Lee landed on all fours, he saw what Zaku did. Dosu landed on a soft mound of dirt that was raised somehow. "What? This cannot be!" he said, shocked once he saw Dosu pry himself from the pile of dirt.

"That is a frightening jutsu. It nearly took me out, even though I landed on this soft dirt." Dosu said, more to himself.

Lee stood up, feeling the adverse effects of the Lotus.

"Now, it's my turn." Dosu said, extending his right arm again and showing the metal thing on his forearm.

'Oh no, my body hasn't recovered from that jutsu.' Lee thought as his opponent rushed him.

Dosu swung his arm at Lee, but missed as Sasuke redirected his punch away from the prone taijutsu specialist. Moving with his momentum, he drove his left forearm into Dosu's chest, pushed him away and kicked him in the face with significant force, sending him flying over to where Zaku is standing.

"He's not your only opponent." he stated firmly at he stood in front of Lee.

"Don't forget about us." said Kiba as he leaped into the air. "Tunneling Fang!" He started spinning at a rapid pace, looking more like a human-size drill, and barreled towards the gennin from the Sound Village.

Zaku glared at the Inuzuka before extending his hands at him, revealing strange metal holes on his palms. "Slicing Sound Wave!" From the holes came a powerful blast of air that easily pushed Kiba out of his jutsu.

Seeing this, Sakura got up and charged at the sound shinobi. However, she was intercepted by Kin. "Out of my way!" she exclaimed before her left foot lashed out at her.

Kin caught Sakura's kick, but winced at the inhuman strength it had. 'What the hell does this bitch do, bench press trees?' she wondered before aiming to trip the pinkette. But as soon as her foot hit her leg, she turned into a log. "Cleaver girl. But a pampered brat like you can't compete with a real kunoichi like me."

Kin soon regretted those words as Sakura, now bearing red fighter's gloves, fell from the trees and slammed her fist into the ground. Even though she missed her target, everyone felt a small tremor when her fist met the forest floor.

'I missed her.' Sakura thought. 'Then again, I'm starting to figure out how Lady Tsunade is so strong.' Sakura has long since figured out that the female sannin uses chakra to enhance her strength to the point where she can uproot a tree and throw it like a javelin. She's been trying to duplicate it for years with only Naruto knowing of her endevors. Sadly, she later figured that there must be more to it.

Using the distraction to his advantage, Akamaru ran up and bit Kin on her right arm, causing her to scream in pain. As she tried to get the mutt off her, Shino sent his beetles at her. Her eyes widened in fear before she managed to remove the puppy's jaws from her arm and throw him at the swarm. Shino's beetles moved away from Akamaru as they continued on their path towards the sound kunoichi. Shino himself caught Akamaru and sat him down before throwing a kunai at Kin.

Kin dodged the kunai as she ran up a tree, with Sakura in hot pursuit. She stopped and whipped out her foot at the pinkette, but the leaf kunoichi blocked with one arm before flinging her into the approaching swarm. Before she landed, she quickly switched places with a log before the swarm could get to her.

Meanwhile, Dosu was having a hard time with his opponents. Not only was he facing Sasuke Uchiha, but also a skilled taijutsu specialist. While he could handle one of them, he was hard-pressed with both of them.

Finally fed up with this, he raised his right arm and blocked Sasuke's kunai with his metal device. As soon as they clanged together, the device gave off a sharp sound that hit Sasuke's ear. The boy backed away and held his now bleeding ear.

Dosu chuckled at the Uchiha's misfortune. "This is the real power of my Sound Amplifier. I can take the sound it produces and use my chakra to enhance it and redirect it to any point I want." he explained. "And now, it's your turn." He then flicked the device and directed the sound wave to Lee's left ear, causing the boy to hold his ear as it was assaulted. "Holding your ear won't work. Once it's in there, it's not escaping." Dosu added with a concealed grin.

Elsewhere, Zaku was dealing with Kiba and Akamaru. The Inuzuka heir and his ninja dog proved to be a near match for the ninja from the Sound Village. If the dog wasn't fighting with him, Zaku would have defeated the boy alreadty. Plus, the bug boy, as he dubbed him, sent a small army of beetles his way as well. Fighting three opponents kept the sound gennin on his toes.

He backhanded Akamaru then ducked under Kiba's right hook before delivering a punch to the gut. Kiba staggered back before Zaku's foot met his face. "Goodbye, kid. Slicing Sound Wave!" he exclaimed as he aimed his arms at Kiba.

But before his attack could be unleashed, a cry of "Wind Cutter!" was heard as an arc of sharp wind sailed towards Zaku. Acting quickly, the boy redirected his attack at the blade of wind. From the holes in his hands came a large blast of air. He thought his jutsu would blast the attack away, but he was shocked to see his jutsu literally cut through before the blade slammed into him.

Gripping Fuukiri in her right hand, Hinata stood in front of Naruto as she stared down Zaku. "Don't forget that I'm still here." she said as she raised the wind-based katana, ready to use its special attack once again. Suddenly, she screamed in pain as she gripped her ears, dropping Fuukiri.

"Nuh-uh, little girl. You're not going anywhere." Dosu spoke before approaching Sasuke. "Kin, Zaku, hurry up and kill Naruto. Who knows who might show up."

"You got that right!" a feminine voice exclaimed before vines wrapped around the sound ninja's neck.

Suddenly, Zaku found himself unable to move. "What the hell! Why can't I move?" he wondered aloud.

Then, Kin found a dagger at her back. "Don't move, or I'll burn you to ashes." Ino spoke from behind her, Souga: Hi centemeters away from puncturing the sound kunoichi's back.

"Now step away from the boys... if you value your life." Tenten demanded as she held a kodachi at Dosu's neck, ready, willing and able to slit his wrapped throat.

"They're like cockroaches. No matter how many you squash, more of them keep appearing." Dosu muttered. "You do realize that I have your friends at my mercy, right? All I have to do is make my amplifier sound again and their brains will explode."

"And how can you do that when you're dead?" came a dark voice from behind Hinata before the sound ninjas were struck by an invisible force.

All eyes turned to the hollowed tree as Naruto stood tall, but looked different than he usually did. His hair and eyes are as red as blood, his whisker marks are more pronounced and his fingernails resemble sharp claws. He grinned, showing off sharp-looking fangs. "I can smell the stench of snake and blood all over you three. I know you are working for Orochimaru, even without you admitting to it earlier." he spoke. He then stepped forward and added, "You know, I should really thank him. Not only did he return my life to me, but he sealed up that annoying furball. And without him interferring, I now have control of this body." His grin then shifted as he stared at Kin. "And I'm gonna put it to damn good use."

"W-What are you doing?" Kin wondered as she backed away from the now redheaded boy. She knew that look... and didn't like it one bit.

"Oh, nothing right now. You see, I just woke up after such a long time and I need to stretch my legs." Naruto replied before his gaze shifted to Dosu and Zaku, the former holding his neck from being nearly choked to death by the now broken vine. "And I think these two will make for a good warm-up."

The blond-turned-redhead then dashed over and launched a punch at Dosu, who quickly dodged. He would have counterattacked, but then saw the punch hit a tree and destroy part of the trunk, causing the rest of it to fall. 'What the hell?'

"Timber!" Naruto exclaimed enthusiastically as the tree fell. Once it crashed onto the forest floor, he turned to Dosu and grinned. "Next!" Appearing beside him, his arm collided with Dosu's neck in a vicious lariant.

"Well, he was boring." Naruto muttered with a frown. "Maybe you will do better." Turning his gaze to Zaku, Naruto grinned as he stalked his next opponent.

"Not so fast, brat." Zaku said as he aimed his hands at the redhead. "Slicing Sound Wave!"

Naruto's frown returned as he waved his hand dismissively at the sound shinobi. To everyone's amazement, the blast of air simply split in two and went around Naruto, not even ruffling his hair. "Is that your best?" he deadpanned. "If so, then you're not much of a challenge either."

Zaku growled before he prepared to unleash his strongest justu, but never got the chance when Naruto connected a flaming punch into his midsection. He then spun around and delivered a flaming roundhouse kick. Zaku flew into a nearby tree, unconscious and burned.

Naruto yawned. "That was dull. They're down for the count and I'm not even warmed up yet." he said, almost sounding irritated.

Everyone else just stared at the redheaded maelstrom as he decimated the two sound gennin in only a few moments. Kin was feeling very vulnerable right now as her comrades were down and out and she was all alone. Hinata, on the other hand, felt that something was strongly off and decided to find out what's going on.

Picking up Fuukiri, Hinata approached her boyfriend and wondered what was happening to him. Never had he acted like this before.

"And now the lynx wants some of this." Naruto said as he turned to face Hinata. "Do we really have to fight? I mean, I see no reason to, in my opinion. Why don't we just go someplace and have some fun together? Just you and me, kitty."

Hinata frowned. Naruto may refer to her as a cat at times, but he only calls her 'kitten' when he does. "Who are you? Where is Naruto?" she asked him while holding Fuukiri in a defensive stance.

"Naruto? Who's that?" the redhead wondered until he looked himself over. "Oh, that's right. That's the name of the boy whose body this is." He then grinned and decided to formally introduce himself. "Forgive me for the misunderstanding, little lady. The name's Youko... King Youko." he finished with a bow.

"I'll only ask one more time. Where is Naruto?" Hinata demanded as her eyes hardened in anger.

"Oh, you're a fiesty one, aren't you?" Youko grinned as he looked the heiress up and down. "Not my type attitude-wise, but you really are a sight to behold. But since you want to know about that worthless child so bad, I guess I should tell you." He then looked serious. "He's gone, little miss kitty. I now control this body, not him. And you can thank that serpent of a sannin for this wonderful gift." He then placed his right hand over the Curse Mark and grinned. Suddenly, everyone felt a dark force envelop the area as Youko's grin grew.

_**"Kitten, hurry and restrain him!"**__ Neko screamed. __**"We must make contact with him in order to stop him from accessing the Curse Mark!"**_

Hinata mentally nodded and sheathed Fuukiri before dashing over to Youko and tackling him. "Get out! Get out of his body!" she screamed as she restrained the redhead.

"Let go of me!" Youko demanded as he struggled to shake the Hyuuga heiress off of him, but then found vines wrapping around him.

_**"I don't think so."**_ he heard Neko in his head before he was bombarded with pain. He screamed as he struggled to free himself from Hinata's grasp, but soon found himself unable to move.

_"Get out." he heard Naruto's anger-filled voice. "Get out of my body... NOW!"_

xxxxx

Inside Naruto's mind, Youko was busy fighting an angry nekomata and an equally angry couple.

"Give it up, kid. This is my body now, not yours." Youko stated as he kept dodging their attacks.

"Like hell it is!" Naruto shouted as he swung Fuukiri and launched a Wind Cutter at Youko.

"Leave my boyfriend's body now!" Hinata yelled as she swung Suibi, launching an arc of water collected by the blade. "Wave Strike!" she called out as the arc sailed towards the redhead.

Both attacks collided with each other, but missed Youko as he jumped high into the air. "You missed." he said before placing a hand on Neko's nose to redirect her bite away from him. "Bad kitty. Down!" He then bashed his fist onto her head and the two-tailed demoness was sent straight to the ground hard.

Neko got up with a groan. This Youko was far stronger than he looked. **"Let's roast this fake."** she said before gathering her energy.

Naruto and Hinata nodded before Naruto flashed through a few hand signs while Hinata brought out a scroll and opened it. "You need a bath." Hinata said before the seal on the scroll glowed and a torrent of water gushed out.

'Ninja Art: Frozen Mist!' Naruto thought before blowing out a sub-zero mist that instantly froze the water.

Youko soon found himself encased in ice as his drenched form froze under the power of Naruto's jutsu. "You can't kill me, kid. I am immortal!" he exclaimed.

**"Not anymore."** Neko smirked before unleashing a tongue of pitch-black flames. The flames engulfed Youko and they could hear his cries of pain as the hellfire completely burned him to ashes.

Once the fire died down, the trio breathed a sigh of relief... until they heard eerie laughter. "Not bad... You've managed to actually defeat me." the voice of Youko echoed throughout the mindscape. "But you know, I can't be killed by such weak attacks. My body can be destroyed, of course. But I, on the other hand, cannot die so easily. Until next time, kid. Oh, and once you die, I will have your body... forever." His voice faded with maniacle laughter.

xxxxx

Outside the mindscape, everyone watched as Naruto's body returned to normal. Hinata looked up and saw the same blue eyes she fell in love with. "Naruto?"

"Yes, Hinata?" he responded weakly.

Hinata smiled and hugged him, happy to have her boyfriend back.

"Hinata?" She looked up as Naruto stared at her. "Why am I tied up?"

"Well, you weren't acting like yourself, so we had to take precautions." she replied before the vines receeded into the ground, courtesy of Ino.

"Speaking of which, what was that?" Sasuke wondered.

"That can wait for now." Neji spoke up. "What do we do about them?"

"Nothing." Naruto replied solemnly. "Just leave them here."

"Why should we?" Kiba wondered.

"Her teammates are down and out. She can't fight all of us." Naruto then walked over and searched Dosu and Zaku for their scroll. Once he got it, he pocketed it and stepped over to Kin. "If you see Orochimaru again, give him this message. If I see him again, I will kill him for this damn curse he awakened, and I don't mean this thing." He finished while placing a hand on the Curse Mark.

He then turned around and left with the other leaf ninjas following behind.

xxxxx

"Naruto, what was that about?" Sasuke asked him.

"Later, Sasuke. We need to get out of here and now." Naruto answered as he held the sound team's earth scroll in his hand. "Are any of you missing a scroll?"

"We have our scrolls, Naruto." Hinata replied.

"So do we." Ino and Tenten added.

Naruto nodded. "Then let's haul ass. No need to be here any longer than we should." Everyone else nodded before they dashed towards the tower.

xxxxx

An hour later, the leaf gennin arrived at the tower and made it inside. But once they were, they each had to solve a message that was missing a word. They quickly figered that now was the time to open the scrolls. But once they did, smoke esacaped from them and they realized that they really summoning scrolls. What they summoned was a chūnin that was assigned to their squad. Interestingly, squad eight's chūnin was Kiba's older sister, Hana, while squad seven's chūnin was Iruka. The chūnin then explained the message to the gennin before escorting them to their rooms.

Naruto and Hinata, on the other hand, were taken to the Hokage's office in the tower, where said man was waiting with Anko, Kakashi, Kurenai and Yuki.

"Naruto, how are you feeling?" Yuki asked him as she checked him over.

"Terrible." he replied with a frown.

"From what Hinata and Yuki told us, Orochimaru branded you with a Curse Mark and the Five-Pronged Seal." Hiruzen informed him. "While Yuki is skilled in seals, she cannot remove either from you. I, on the other hand, can remove the Five-Pronged Seal from you immediately. Unfortunately, we have no idea how to remove the Curse Mark."

"Well, can it, at least, be sealed?" Naruto wondered. "I won't use it, if you're worried about that. I don't need it nor want it. But I think my nightmare might be tempted if it could kill me."

The Hokage frowned. "Nightmare?"

"He must mean the fox-boy that's in his recurring nightmares." Yuki supplied.

Naruto nodded. "He called himself Youko."

Yuki gasped. 'Oh no... not him...' She shivered in fear before looking at the Hokage. "We need to remove the Five-Pronged Seal right now!"

Decided not to ask until later, Hiruzen nodded. "Naruto, I need to take off your shirt please and channel some chakra to reveal the seal. Kakashi, go and stand behind him." The two males nodded and did as they were told. Naruto noticed Hinata blush and Anko raise an eyebrow, but ignored them as he saw the Hokage's right hand hold flames similar to when Orochimaru placed that Five-Pronged Seal, but they were blue instead of violet.

"Yeah, that's definately Orochimaru's handiwork." Hiruzen said to himself. "Looks sloppy, like he applied it in a rush. You did good in defending yourself against one of the sannin, Naruto." Naruto smiled at the praise. "Now brace yourself, for this will hurt. Five-Pronged Seal: Release!" The Hokage slammed his hand into the seal and Naruto grunted in pain as it was removed. "There, it's gone, Naruto."

As Hinata held her boyfriend, Naruto tried to contact Kyuubi. _"Kyuubi, can you hear me?"_

_**"Kit, is that you?"**__ Kyuubi groaned._

_"How do you feel, Kyuubi?"_

_**"I feel sick."**__ Naruto chuckled. __**"Kit, that Five-Pronged Seal prevented me from stopping the Curse Mark from taking root. Now that it has, I cannot remove it. But I know someone who can... a few someones, actually."**_

_"Who?"_

_**"One of the sacred Bijuu can remove it easily. The problem is that finding them is not easy, as they all have been sealed."**__ Naruto's face fell. __**"However, there is one that is still free."**_

_Naruto immediately perked up. "Which one?"_

_**"Suzaku."**__ Naruto's eyes widened at the mention of that name._

"Ms. Yuki, do you know where Suzaku is?" Naruto asked her. "Kyuubi says that she can remove my Curse Mark."

"She can?" Yuki wondered, but then nodded. "Yes, I know where she is. She told me last night that she sent someone to help you. She also said that Lady Tsunade knows what happened in the forest."

"How did she take it?" Hinata wondered.

"She was furious. She said that she'll turn Orochimaru into a red stain on the ground the next time they meet." Everyone else shuddered.

"Yuki, why were you so worried about the seal when the name Youko was mentioned?" Kurenai asked the fox-woman.

Yuki sighed. "Because Youko was the name of the previous Nine-Tailed Fox before my mate took over." Everyone was completely surprised by this. "While Lord Kyuubi ruled like a true king, Youko ruled like a tyrant. He was eventually defeated and executed by my mate, who was the strongest eight-tailed kitsune at the time. Once he ascended to the throne, he did away with Youko's loyalists and his insane laws and ushered in a new order for the kitsunes."

_**"And now that Youko somehow survived and is trying to kill you in order to live again, I need to find a way to end his existence once and for all."**__ Kyuubi finished._

xxxxx

Later that night, Naruto sat in his room and stared up at the moon. The other leaf gennin wanted to know what the hell happened to him and he decided to tell them... a subdued version of it.

_"So Naruto, mind telling us what the hell happened to you out there?" Sasuke asked once they were all alone. The others were just as curious as he was._

_Naruto sighed heavily as he stared out the window. "This story goes back almost eight years. Back then, I lived in an orphanage and was very lonely." he began before he turned to face them. "About a month before my fifth birthday, __someone knocked me out and when I came to, the back of my neck itched. Since then, every now and then, I have these nightmares about a giant fox with nine tails attacking the village. I'm sure you can guess what that means."_

_Everyone nodded. "But how can you have memories of the Nine-Tailed Fox's attack?" Shino wondered._

_"I shouldn't. I was only minutes old when that happened." Naruto replied. "Anyway, just as a giant toad with a person on its head arrives, the fox turns into me, but with red hair and eyes, long ears and nine foxtails. It then attacks me." He then shuddered. "When I wake up from those nightmares, I'm covered head to toe in blood. I later learned that someone placed a seal on me and altered it so that those nightmares are very real."_

_"So any injury you had in your dream was felt by you for real?" Shikamaru surmised._

_Naruto nodded. "That only lasted for about five weeks before the seal was removed. But the damage had been done and the nightmare is now permanant. I now can't sleep at night without someone with me. Usually it's Ginko, but she's not here."_

_"So is the one in your dream Youko?" Neji wondered._

_"I think so. The descriptions match up, so it has to be." Naruto then turned back to the window, eyes gazed up at the moon. "I just wish this nightmare would finally end. But it will... with Fuukiri through Youko's black heart."_

That was over an hour ago. 'I will find a way to end this nightmare.' he thought to himself.

_**"No, WE will find a way."**__ Kyuubi corrected._

_"Thanks, Kyuubi."_ Naruto then turned his gaze to Sakura and smiled as she slept peacefully. She whispered to him that she'll keep the nightmares away tonight when no one was looking. 'Sakura...'

Suddenly, he sensed someone in the room and looked around, only to see a girl around Tenten's age with red hair tied in a ponytail and hazel eyes. She's garbed in a light red battle kimono top and skirt, tight black shorts and straw sandals. "Who are you? How did you get in here?" he asked her.

**"Relax, child. I mean you no harm."** the girl spoke. Her voice sounded harmonious to his ears. **"I was sent by my queen to aid you."**

_**"Kit, this girl is a phoenix."**__ Kyuubi informed him. __**"She works for Suzaku. The woman must have been watching you for her to send one of her kin to your aid."**_

Naruto's eyes widened as he stared at the girl. "What is your name, phoenix?" he asked politely.

The girl smiled. **"My name is Rei, Naruto Uzumaki."** she replied. **"Lady Suzaku sends her regards as well as to inform you of a few things."**

"Such as..." he wondered.

**"That she was the one that made that locket for you and connected it to your late mother's spirit."** Rei answered. **"Unfortunately, Orochimaru's interferrence has destroyed that connection. I can restore it, but it will take some time."**

"How much time?" Naruto wondered, devastated that he can't see his mother and aunts for a while.

**"About four to six weeks, give or take."** Rei replied with a sad smile. She truly felt sorry for the boy. Her captain chose her over the others because she's been watching over him in secret for years. She even admitted this in front of her queen and she was allowed to assist him... and then some. **"Come here. Let me remove that curse as well as restore your connection with your mother."**

Naruto nodded and approached the phoenix, who now sprouted a pair of large crimson-downed wings and a long golden tailfeather. **"Do not worry, Naruto. Everything will be alright."** she said before she cupped his whiskered cheeks and gently pressed her lips against his. Naruto's eyes widened before they slowly closed as he and the phoenix kissed. As soon as their lips touched, he felt a warm feeling envelop him. He found it odd that it felt so familiar to him.

After a moment, they pulled away and Rei smiled. **"There. The curse will be gone when you wake up in the morning. But like I said, the connection with your mother will take about four to six weeks to be restored."** she explained. **"I will keep watch over you until my queen says otherwise. In one week, we'll meet again. I have something that Lady Suzaku wants me to give to you."**

Naruto nodded before giving the phoenix a warm hug. "Thank you, Rei."

Rei's smile grew. **"You're welcome, Naruto."** She then pulled away and turned into a bird the size of a raven. **"Till we meet again, Naruto."** She then flew out of the window, which Naruto noticed was open.

He walked over and closed it before smiling. "Yes... till we meet again, Rei." he whispered before going to sleep with Sakura in his arms.

xxxxx

A/N: And that ends chapter twenty. Now please read and review. All flames shall be purified by Rei. She said something about them bothering Naruto and wanted them free of any type of darkness that might be harmful to him.

This one was not an easy one for me to do. I had a bit of a problem with the battle scene with the sound team. Once I finished that, the rest of the chapter was easy to finish. And now that it is, I have finally reached the point where my first run on this story ended: the Chūnin Exam Preliminaries. While those matches weren't posted before the rewrite, I did write them. These next few chapters will include a summary of those matches in the order they would have appeared. Also, once this arc is finished, my 'Changes from before' section will disappear since it was only for the changes I made to the story since the rewrite.

Changes from before: Like with the battle versus Orochimaru, this chapter was pretty much overhauled. Very few things stayed the same, such as the flashback about the Lotus, Naruto defeating the sound team singlehandedly and Hinata putting a stop to it before he attacked Kin. Other than that, this chapter was completely rewritten from the rediculously long chapter I wrote that I have broken into three parts. This part of the exam I put in a single chapter, and it was over twenty-two thounsand words. That was a nightmare to complete and spell check. I had to break it into four parts just to finish and even then, it was hard. Putting it back together was also hard. That taught me never to write a chapter that long ever again. It was also when I came up with my five to fifteen thousand word quota. I meet that quota every chapter and I'm okay.

Important Notice: 12/4/2011: Sorry about the long wait. My laptop died on me, so I'm using my brother's computer to continue my work. Now, for those who haven't noticed, the astrick at the end of the title represents that I have yet to fully check this chapter for spelling and grammer errors. Because his computer currently lacks a word processing program that I can use for this purpose, there may be some here and there. I will update this and all chapters that has my title marker once my brother or I installs a word processing program on his computer. I mean, WordPad is fine, but I need to be able to better see the mistakes I made.

Response Corner:

notgonnasay09: There is a reason there is no scene of Jiraiya in this arc. He will reappear in the next arc. And yes, he already knows. Tsunade would've sent him a message via slug upon finding out _that_ kind of bad news.

Serenity Evans: See the seventh chapter to find out.

the red fox RJ: Okay, while I won't answer the first question, since it'll be a spoiler, I can answer the second question. The flare Naruto released was not because of Kyuubi. As to what it was, you'll have to wait until I reveal it later on.

Next Time: It's time for the third part of the Chūnin Exams. But what's this about a preliminary?

Later!


	21. Arc 3 Chapter 7

**The Kitsune and the Neko***

"Talking"  
'Thoughts'  
**Inner/Demon/Deity/Dire Beast  
**_Flashback/Mind Link_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N: Merry Chistmas everyone! This year, I have a special present for everyone. I have posted side story for this story. Check out 'The Kitsune and the Neko: The Secret Files'.

**Arc 3: The Chūnin Exams  
Chapter 7: The Preliminaries Part 1**

A few days later, everyone met inside a large arena-type room in front of a huge statue with its hands in the 'hitsugi' sign. Aside from the four leaf squads, three more teams made it to the tower. The sand gennin made it inside of four hours, beating the old record set years ago. The sound gennin also managed to make it, though Zaku looked worse for wear and Kin looked scared when Naruto glanced at her. Another leaf team made it as well. This team was Kabuto's squad.

As the twenty-one gennin stood before their jounin instructors, the Hokage and the proctors for the exam, Naruto's thoughts wandered while he ignored the Hokage's speech about the exams, since he had heard it three times before. No need to hear it a fourth time, right?

He first thought of what happened over the past few days. The morning after Rei removed the Curse Mark, Haku and the vixens arrived at the tower. To his relief, Tsuki was fine and was relieved that he was alright, as was a worried Ginko. The silver fox-girl spent ten minutes kissing him when she saw him. Haku informed him that while he and the triplets were allowed to watch, none of the kitsunes could help him in the exams. He accepted it as him being tested to see if he can fight for himself without the aid of Yuki's kits. He also told his girlfriends about Rei and what she did to remove his Curse Mark. Their reactions were not what he expected. Ginko was upset and wanted to meet the phoenix in order to stake her claim on her man. Sakura shook her head and wondered how he gets so many women to fall for him. Hinata, to his surprise, was neutral about it, but she told him not to go kissing girls he just met again. Neko, on the other hand, simply laughed and stated that his charms even effected a divine creature.

Thinking of Sakura, he knew that the girl would be just fine in the exams. The pink-haired kunoichi's training has progressed very far since she started. An impressive feat for a girl born in a civilian family. Of course, she owes her progress to him and thanks him everytime they kiss. She told him this herself. Sasuke, on the other hand, is another story. While the avenger's attitude hasn't changed much since they became squad seven, he's much more tollerable now. He once asked about his mother and how she knew his father, but Naruto merely shrugged and said that he never knew that his mother knew the late Uchiha patriarch. And he was telling the truth too. Kushina never told him about her and Fugaku. Even Mikoto didn't mention it.

He then thought about squad eight, specifically his lavender-eyed girlfriend. Hinata has definately blossomed from the shy little girl she once was into the strong young woman she is today. While she wants to show that she truly is strong, particularly to her cousin Neji, she can't fully do so until Tsunade comes back. He told her that, at the very least, she can show some of her strength and hoped it is enough to either impress him or show him that his way of thinking is wrong.

Of course, they're not the only ones who think that way. Tenten also dislikes Neji's belief in destiny. She once told him that Neji believes that everyone has a certain path that they must obediently follow. Furthermore, he claims that those who are weak shall stay weak. The three friends saw no logic or sense in that and knew that they can become strong and change their paths. Naruto is living proof of that statement.

Since his mind is on Tenten at the moment, he thought about her own progress. The Mistress of Weapons has become a great kunoichi and has the respect of not only her squad, but some of the clan heads as well. Some are starting to call her 'the next Arashi', since her father is a famous sword master and a veteren of the Third Great Ninja War. Even without her weapons, she's still just as skilled as she is with them. Her rigorous training under Guy had done more than just make her strong. She has become a great unarmed fighter as well. While she cannot defeat her teammates or even himself unarmed, she can still put up one hell of a fight.

Speaking of himself, his thoughts wandered to the other blonde in their group. Ino may not be as strong as the other kunoichis, but she can kick plenty of ass just the same. The spunk-filled girl has greatly improved from a flirtatious young girl to a flirtatious, yet deadly, kunoichi. Of course, she's all about having fun and looking good while doing it. Even still, she is quite the fighter if need be, though she is better with her daggers than without.

His musings were cut short when another shinobi dropped in. He could tell there was a reason, so he started listening.

"Lord Hokage. Before you do, please allow me, Hayate Gekkou, appointed as proctor of the third exam, to speak first." the ninja said. He looked to be in his twenties with pale skin, dark eyes and short black hair. He wore the standard attire for a leaf jounin, but his headband is worn as a bandana.

"So be it." said the Hokage.

Hayate stood up, but did not turn around to face the gennin. "It's nice to meet you all." he said before turning his head to look at them. "There's something I would like all of you to do before the third exam." Naruto and Tenten hid a smile as they recognized the jounin swordsman that is feeling much better thanks to the medical sannin. "Because of the number of remaining participants, we must cut the numbers and have a preliminary exam before we continue with the third exam."

"Preliminary exam?" Ino asked.

"Yes. The rules are simple. Everyone will fight one-on-one until everyone has fought. Your opponents will be chosen at random, so you won't even know when you'll be fighting or who you'll be facing." Hayate explained.

"Why must we go through this anyway?" Sakura wondered.

"Well, you see, there are many important people coming here to watch the finals, including nobles, village leaders and the Kazekage. Many of them would have to travel very far to get here, and we don't want to disappoint them with a poor performance. They came to see the best as well as evaluate the strength of a particular village's ninja. After all, they will be your potential clients and you would want to impress them and the judges who will be deciding if you should be a chūnin. If they see that a certain village's ninja are better than another's, then their mission requests will go to that village. This can very well decide your ninja work from now on." After Hayate finished, he sighed. "In short, the preliminaries are to shorten the candidates to around the single digits. To be honest, we did not think that this many would even make it this far, regardless of what happened during the first two tests."

"Now then, if there is anyone who doesn't feel like they should participate, please speak up now and you can go." Hayate continued. After a moment of no one speaking up, he carried on. "All right then, here are the rules. You will face your opponents until one of you is considered unable to continue, forfeits or dies. If I deem a match is over, then I'll step in and save as many lives as I can. My word is law. Is that understood?" All twenty-one of the gennin nodded. "Also, the first match will have a special rule."

"A special rule?" Nauto repeated with a raised eyebrow.

Hayate nodded. "Because there are an uneven number of participants, the Hokage will select two of you to compete in the first match. The winner will compete once more in the final match." he explained. "After the matches are over, if the winner of the first match won the final match as well, the Hokage will present you with a special reward."

Hayate then stepped back and the Hokage stepped forward. "Now then, the first match will be Naruto Uzumaki versus Rock Lee. Those two stay. Everyone else are to head to one of the balconies to watch." Almost everyone did so immediately.

"Good luck, you two." Sakura said to them before heading to the balconies with Sasuke and Kakashi.

"Don't go overboard now, okay?" Tenten told them before heading to the balconies with Lee and Guy.

"You know they're going to, don't you?" Ino whispered to bun-haired girl.

"Yeah, but a girl can hope her friends don't injure each other." Tenten whispered back.

Naruto and Lee loosened themselves up as they waited for everyone to head to the balconies. Once everyone was out of the way, Hayate looked at the two and nodded. "The first match of the preliminaries is between Naruto Uzumaki and Rock Lee. Begin!" And with that said, he leaped back to give them some fighting room.

Naruto and Lee bowed respectfully before they took their standard fighting stance. Naruto stood in the basic taijutsu stance while Lee stood in the Iron Fist stance. The two circled each other as they waited for the first move to be made. They watched each other's movements, looking for an opening to exploit.

xxxxx

On the balconies, Kakashi and Guy watched their students circle each other. "This should be a great match. Don't you agree, Kakashi?" Guy spoke up.

"Why, absolutely." Kakashi replied. "But can your student handle mine, Guy? Naruto's no pushover in the slightest."

"True, but neither is my Lee." Guy answered. "Plus, those two are regular sparring partners. Knowing them, this match could last quite a while."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "How long are we talking?" he wondered while looking at the man.

Guy shrugged. "Hard to say, exactly... at least with them. I've seen them spar for thirty minutes before they started to tire. It depends on the pace they set."

Kakashi's eye widened. "Are you serious?" Sparring for thirty minutes is quite impressive for gennin their age.

"He is." Tenten replied, joining their conversation. "Neji and I were watching them and even we were shocked."

"They even got up after resting for five minutes and resumed their spar." Neji added, adding in his two ryou.

Kakashi sighed. "Then this might actually take awhile. Then again, with what's at stake, I doubt they'll go at a slow pace."

xxxxx

Finally, after what seemed like several minutes, Naruto finally made a move. He flicked his wrist and a kunai appeared in his grip. He quickly flicked it at Lee and dashed at him. Lee caught the ninja tool before catching Naruto's left forearm, stopping his spinning back chop. Naruto then aimed a roundhouse kick for Lee's arm and managed to free himself before blocking Lee's left knee with a right palm strike. He then aimed a left palm strike upwards to block Lee's right hook. With the palm strike's momentum, he rolled back to give himself some distance to defend against Lee's upcoming offensive.

Seeing his friend put distance between them, Lee charged forward and threw a barrage of punches and kicks in order to keep him on the defensive. Naruto quickly blocked, parried or evaded Lee's attacks, but was unable to launch his own. He raised his left leg to block Lee's right kick and pushed a left punch out of the way before vaulting over the spandex-wearing gennin. He landed on his hands and quickly flipped to his feet before Lee's sweep could knock him down.

Naruto then went on the offensive with a spinning roundhouse kick. Lee ducked under it and threw an uppercut at Naruto, but the blond grabbed his forearm, lifted it up and elbowed him in the chest. Following the momentum, Naruto spun around and rammed his shoulder into Lee's chest before stepping back, pulling him forward and throwing him over his shoulder and onto the ground. He then lifted his foot and slammed his heel into the ground, but Lee rolled out of the way before it could make contact.

Lee flipped to his feet and aimed a thrust kick at Naruto, nailing him in the chest and causing him to stumble back. He then dashed forward, grabbed his arms and monkey-flipped him away from the wall. Naruto rolled and tumbled across the arena floor until he came to a stop. Lee stood up and waited for his friend to get up, knowing that one kick and a throw won't cause him to quit.

Like he figured, a moment after he stopped, Naruto sat up and stretched. "Man, I really needed that." he said before standing up and dusting himself off. "Well Lee, warm-up's over. You ready to do this?" Many of the gennin were a bit shocked. That was all a warm-up?

Lee chuckled. "I'm always ready." Then, they both took the Iron Fist stance.

xxxxx

As soon as Kakashi saw that stance, he glanced over at Sasuke and saw him activate his Sharingan. "No you don't, Sasuke. I wouldn't try that if I were you." he said quietly so no one else noticed.

Sasuke frowned and looked at Kakashi, Sharingan eyes spinning slowly. "Why not?"

"Because Naruto might kill you if you somehow managed to copy his jutsu." Yuki replied before Kakashi could. "Naruto could get very violent if he found out you did such a thing, especially to a comrade. Besides, your eyes won't work on him anyways." Kakashi nodded in agreement. Two months ago, Naruto asked him to see if he could copy one of his jutsu. He explained that Kyuubi's presense within him negated the copy effects of the Sharingan on him. When asked how, he said that Kyuubi never elaborated further than that, which is why he still have his doubts about it.

Sasuke's frown deepened before his Sharingan vanished.

"Good boy." Yuki said with a small smile, earning a scowl form the boy.

xxxxx

With Haku and the vixens, the four of them smiled as they saw Naruto in action.

"It's so good to see Naruto in action again." Haku spoke quietly. It's been nearly two weeks since he sparred with the blond maelstrom. He missed the competition he offered.

**"Same here. I wonder what he'll reveal against Lee in this match."** Ginko wondered from her place on Haku's right shoulder.

**"Oh, you're gonna love what he came up with, Ginko."** Tsuki replied while nestled in Haku's arms.

**"Keep your voices down, you two. We don't want no one knowing we can talk."** Kouen quietly chided from Haku's left shoulder.

**"We know, Kouen."** Tsuki and Ginko said together before sticking their tongues out at her.

Haku chuckled. There's never a dull moment with the Youko Triplets.

xxxxx

"Let's go!" Naruto and Lee exclaimed together before they rushed forward. They met in the middle and launched various kicks while blocking with their hands, arms and legs. They were going at a moderate pace, faster than their earlier warm-up. After thirty blocked kicks, both fighters jumped back before leaping forward. "Leaf Hurricane!" they shouted as they sailed towards each other, ready to land an aerial roundhouse kick.

The two kicks collided and a small shockwave was created from the force of the impact. The two gennin landed and neither of them moved for several seconds. Then, both grabbed their leg as the pain finally kicked in.

"Damn, Lee. What'd you got under those legwarmers, steel bars?" Naruto asked as he held his right leg.

"No, but your kicks hurt all the same." Lee responded as he held his own right leg.

After a moment, they finally shook off the pain and resumed where they left off.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, Sakura and Tenten were watching their boys compete against each other. They were putting on such a great show, they were going to give them a special reward afterwards... no matter what the outcome turned out to be.

Nearby, Hinata smiled as she watched Naruto in action. She knew that they would be at this for awhile. She also spars with Naruto and they tend to last for quite some time as well. Like Naruto, she has a lot of stamina. She figured it's because of the Bijuu sealed within them. But she's not complaining one bit. Being able to keep up with her boyfriend does has its perks.

Sitting on her throne of bones, Neko purred as she enjoyed the show her potential mate put on with his friend. Like her host, she enjoyed watching Naruto train, especially with her host. Of course, she enjoyed making out with him much more. **"Kitten, remember to give him a big reward after his match."** the cat-woman spoke.

"I plan on it." Hinata's voice echoed in the cave.

Neko's smile grew after hearing that. **"Oh, and bring him and Ginko in here if you can. I want to reward him too and I'm sure that she does as well."** she added.

"Why not Sakura as well?" Hinata asked.

Neko's smile grew after hearing that. **"Because Ginko's not allowed to take a human form, kitten. Most likely, Sakura will also reward him, and may even summon Haruko so she can reward him too."** she replied.

xxxxx

"Leaf Severe Hurricane!" Lee exclaimed as he launched three roundhouse kicks in quick succession at Naruto.

The blond maelstrom used his forearms to block Lee's powerful kicks as he tried to form a plan to stop the taijutsu specialist. 'This is getting old and fast. We're basically fighting ourselves into a stalemate.' he mused before he ducked the third kick and thrusted both palms into Lee's chest.

Lee stumbled back and watched as Naruto took a giant leap and landed on the statue's hands. 'Most likely to catch his breath.' he figured. He then glanced up at the balcony and saw someone nod at him. He nodded back before taking a different stance.

Naruto watched as he took a new stance. 'Is that... Kickboxing?' While she was training him, Kushina has showed him various different fighting styles from around the world, saying that their clan has been around for a long time and several of them had gather information on these styles, to which she kept with her and studied before she got married. He's familiar with Kickboxing, being similar to the style that Asuma uses. 'What is he up to?' he wondered.

His question was answered when Lee charged at him. Naruto decided to meet him halfway and dashed towards him. Once they met, they both threw a straight right punch. But to his and some others' shock, Lee's fist was covered in flames.

xxxxx

"But... how?" Might Guy was completely shocked at what he just saw. "Lee... just used a jutsu." Beside him, Neji and Tenten were just as shocked as he is. Even Hinata was shocked at this.

"So what? I mean, we can do justu, so why can't he?" Kiba asked, wondering what the big deal is.

"Kiba, Lee's unable to use jutsu." Hinata explained. "He told me that he was born with a condition that stunted the growth of his chakra coils, making it impossible for him to use ninjutsu and genjutsu. The fact that he used a jutsu, and an elemental one at that, should not be possible for him."

"Well, maybe his chakra coils finished developing or something." Kiba surmised.

"Then where did he learn the jutsu from?" Tenten asked him, joining their conversation. "Neither Neji nor I know that jutsu and Guy-sensei doesn't teach us ninjutsu so Lee's not left out."

"Then you three can thank me for Lee's newest weapon." Yuki chimed in sweetly.

"Newest weapon?" Tenten wondered with a raised eyebrow.

"You see, I've known about Lee's condition for quite some time now. I've been working on finding a way to fix it." Yuki explained. "I've found two, but one of them would be too dangerous for him and may not even work at that. So I went with the second option: make him a weapon that simulates ninjutsu."

"A weapon that simulates ninjutsu?" Hinata questioned. She never heard of such a thing.

"His weapon is a special pair of gloves that he's wearing underneath his bandages. They have seals on them that allow him to use elemental chakra in a sort of raw form. With enough training, he should be able to duplicate ninjutsu." Yuki then pointed down at Naruto and added, "However, I was only able to teach him the Heat Fist before the Chūnin Exams started. And against Naruto, that may not be enough."

"Did Naruto know about this?" Kakashi wondered.

"Of course not." Yuki replied. "If he did, Lee would know at least two of the Soshi-Kougake's four jutsu."

xxxxx

Naruto healed his hand as he stared at Lee. He heard Yuki explain the Soshi-Kougake and why she made it. However, he was more concerned about how she made them.

So he turned to his greatest source of knowledge for answers. _"Hey, Kyuubi. Did you see what Lee did?"_

_**"I sure did, kit. Impressive for a boy who can't use ninjutsu."**__ Kyuubi replied._

_"So did you see anything unusual, besides the obvious?" Naruto wondered._

_**"Of course I did. I noticed it long before you did."**__ Kyuubi answered._

_"So you knew about the gloves all along... Not surprised." Mentally shaking his head, Naruto asked the Bijuu, "So what exactly are they?"_

_**"If I'm right, those gloves are made of dragon skin."**__ Kyuubi explained. __**"There also seems to be several seals placed on them. Between both gloves, there are ten seals, five on each."**_

_"What are they?" Naruto wondered, curious about the seals on Lee's gloves._

_**"Four of them are Chakra Conversion Seals, each one calibrated to a certain element. I can't tell what those elements are, but one of the seals is set to fire."**__ Kyuubi replied. __**"The last seal is the Chakra Transfer Seal. While he might have the chakra to perform a single jutsu, there's no way he could perform nature manipulation with the amount he has. And since those gloves have that seal, there must be an external source of chakra somewhere on his person, most likely sealed in a scroll."**_

_"If it's sealed in a scroll, then it would be in his supply pouch." Naruto figured. "Well, maybe Lee and I don't have to hold back as much anymore."_ He then cut his mental chat with the Kitsune King to smile at Lee. "That's an interesting trick, Lee. Can you do it again?"

He was answered with Lee's hands being covered in flames for a second.

"Well then, let's kick this up a notch." Naruto grinned before he balled up his fists, which then caught fire for a second, before charging in.

For the next five minutes, it looked like two prize fighters were battling it out for the championship. Blows were being exchanged and both combatants showed signs of slowing down.

Finally, Naruto had had enough. It was time to end it, and he knew the perfect way to do it. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled a thick, steamy mist around him and Lee, concealing them from view as well as making it difficult for the taijutsu specialist to ignite his hands. Then, Naruto got into a unique stance before kicking out his left foot and using his right foot and his wind training to propel himself forward.

At the same time, Lee stumbled out of the mist just before he heard a cry of, "Drill Kick!" Turning around, he was greeted with a spinning Naruto's feet as the blond flew at him, almost like a living drill, and pushed him away. Naruto then kicked him hard enough to slam him into the wall before landing on his feet.

Naruto had to wait a few moments for Lee to get back on his feet. The spandex-clad gennin had a huge smile on his face, even after his friend's last attack. "That was a great attack, Naruto. It certainly has some push behind it." Lee praised. "I would love to learn it sometime, but it would have to wait for now. Good luck, my friend, and give it your all in your next match." He then bowed to Naruto, who returned his bow with one of his own.

Hayate smiled, seeing the two boys bow to each other like true fighters should, before announcing, "Rock Lee forfeits the match. The winner is Naruto Uzumaki!" Many on the balconies clapped from the performance the two gennin displayed. Most of the kunoichis cheered as Naruto and Lee made it up the stairs.

Once they were with their friends and comrades, they were each bombarded by a kunoichi. Sakura hugged and congratulated Naruto for the show he and Lee put on while Tenten hugged Lee and planted a kiss on his cheek, much to his embarrassment.

Obviously, everyone saw this. Sakura looked at her boyfriend and asked, "Did you see that?"

"How would I have missed that?" Naruto replied. "I think everyone saw it."

"I had no idea that Tenten liked Lee." Sakura commented. Naruto merely shrugged, not wanting to break his promise to Tenten.

The pair were interrupted when Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Sorry to interrupt, but Anko and I need to borrow Naruto for a bit." he said.

The couple looked at each other and nodded before they separated. "Fill me in on the matches?" he asked.

"Of course." she replied a smile before her sensei and boyfriend vanished in a puff of smoke, along with Anko seconds later.

Sakura then turned her attention to Hayate, who looked to have something important to say. "Right, then. Now it's time for the second match." He then looked at the Hokage, who muttered something nobody could hear, before a large panel on the wall slid upward to reveal an equally large monitor. Then, several names started shuffling around, but only two at a time. After a moment, two names appeared on the screen for everyone to see.

**Shino Aburame versus Zaku Abumi**

It didn't take long for everyone to figure out that the monitor showed who will compete next.

'Damn, I wanted to fight the blond kid. He'll pay for what he did to me!' Zaku thought. He marched down to the arena floor and waited for his opponent to get there.

"Good luck, Shino." Hinata said. Shino nodded before joining Zaku.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Sakura asked her friend.

"Don't worry about Shino. He is probably the only one I wouldn't want to fight here." Kiba responded before Hinata could.

Sakura and Hinata shared a look before the pinkette looked at Kiba. "It's not that, but..." she started, but then decided not to voice her concerns. She knew that the sound gennin were prepared to kill them back in the Forest of Death. And while she knew that Shino can handle himself and that Zaku was not at one hundred percent from what her possessed boyfriend did to him, she didn't want to see her her friend get hurt... or worse. She looked at Shino and silently wished for him to be okay.

No one seemed to have noticed the sound jounin disappearing.

xxxxx

Down at the arena floor, Shino and Zaku faced off. The match has started, but neither of them were doing anything. "If you fight me, you won't be able to recover. Forfiet and withdraw." the ever stoic Aburame said to his opponent.

Zaku didn't say anything, but his right arm started twitching all of a sudden before he balled up his fist. "You may not be that blond kid, but you'll do just fine." he said while smirking. He then crouched down with his left arm outstretched before charging at Shino.

Shino blocked Zaku's strike with his right forearm. "You couldn't beat him after he just woke up. What makes you think you can beat me?" he said calmly, though it sounded a little strained.

"Yeah, well I've got news for ya!" Zaku shouted before the holes in his hands started blowing out air. "Try this! Slicing Sound Wave!" The area his hands pointed at blew up and Shino was blown back by it. Zaku's frown turned to a smirk, happy with what he saw.

Sakura and Kurenai were a little worried about the bug tamer. Hinata, on the other hand, tilted her head to the side. Something seemed off to her.

xxxxx

Elsewhere in the tower, Kakashi stood guard over Naruto and Anko as the gennin and three others prepared themselves for a special ritual. When the Hokage and the jounin learned that Naruto's Curse Mark is gone, they wondered how that was possible, especially Anko. He explained that one of the Bijuu's kin removed it at her queen's request. He also mentioned that Kyuubi could have removed it before it took root, but the Five-Pronged Seal prevented that.

When he asked why they wanted to know, Anko responded by showing him the left side of her neck. To his shock, she bore a Curse Mark of her own. She explained that she was once Orochimaru's apprentice before he became a rogue ninja. When he left the village, he took her with him, making her think they were on a mission for the Hokage. He later betrayed her, used her in an experiment before leaving her to die. The experiment was to see who all would survive the Curse Mark. Out of the ten subjects, she was the only survivor. When she was recovered, the Hokage surpressed the mark so it doesn't bother her. Unfortunately, Orochimaru's fall from grace affected her as his apprentice. More or less everyone in the village believed that she still works for him, so she went through a similar hell as he did.

When Anko finished her story, Naruto knew that they were kindred spirits. They both had to suffer because of another's dark actions. He felt a strong need to help her, so he asked Rei if she could remove her Curse Mark. The phoenix accepted, but had to get Suzaku's permissions first. When she came back, she was with two other phoenixes, both looking just like her. Rei explained that she is the oldest of triplets, which had Naruto thinking of Kyuubi and Yuki's three daughters.

Speaking of which, the Phoenix Sisters are currently standing around Naruto and Anko as they both sat in the lotus position. Rei stood directly behind Naruto holding her hands in front of her. The middle sister stood to her right while the youngest sister stood to her left. Both of Rei's sisters have longer hair than she does, falling down to the middle of their backs. They also wear the same garb as her. Of course, they each have their differences. The middle sister, Fuu, has her hair braided in a ponytail while her battle kimono is pale red. The youngest sister, Kurai, has some of her hair tied in a ponytail while her battle kimono is dark red. Aside from those differences, it would be hard to tell them apart.

As Anko watched Naruto and the phoenixes concentrate, she couldn't help but wonder aloud, "What exactly are you about to do?"

Rei looked at the special jounin and smiled. **"What we're about to do is the same thing I did to Naruto a few nights ago. Of course, there is a vast difference between what I did and what we'll do."** she explained. **"To remove Naruto's Curse Mark, I had to orally give him some of my energy, known as reiki."** Naruto blushed. **"Of course, I didn't have to do that, but it was the quicker method versus the minute or so it would take had I just given him some of my reiki through the skin."**

"Would it have hurt?" Naruto wondered as his blush faded.

**"No, but I couldn't use that method because I was a little pressed for time. I didn't want anyone but you to see me because I was ordered to stay hidden."** Rei replied. **"Now, for you Anko, I can't use either method for you because I'm not strong enough to remove your Curse Mark. My superior, however, can easily remove it, but she's currently busy with an emergency elsewhere. So I called my sisters to help me remove your Curse Mark."** She then sighed. **"The only problem is that you don't have a connection to the phoenixes. Naruto's mother, on the other hand, does."**

"And this is where I come in." Naruto said more than asked.

Rei nodded. **"Through Naruto, we'll be able to remove your Curse Mark."**

"And how long do you think this will take?" Kakashi asked.

The Phoenix Sisters shared a look before they shrugged. **"We're not really sure. Probably no longer than five minutes, I think."** Kurai answered.

**"This may also be a bit painful for you, so you might want to brace yourself."** Fuu added.

Anko nodded before Rei scooted Naruto closer to woman. **"Okay, both of you will need to relax. And like Fuu said, you may want to brace yourself for some pain, Anko."** Rei said softly before she and her sisters gathered around them and held hands.

"Keep us safe, Kakashi." Anko said before she and Naruto closed their eyes.

"You got it." Kakashi replied before he saw the five of them begin to glow. 'Be safe, you two.' he thought to himself as as an old memory suddenly surfaced.

"My, how they've grown." said a voice Kakashi would recognize anywhere. "To think she's become strong enough to remove my Curse Mark."

Kakashi looked over his shoulder to see the one he loathed for many reasons. "You..."

"Long time no see, Kakashi." said the sound jounin as he revealed himself to be...

"Orochimaru..." glared the former ANBU captain.

"No offense Kakashi, but I didn't come to see you. My business is with that boy behind you." Orochimaru stated calmly.

Kakashi scowled. "What do you want with Naruto?"

The sannin chuckled briefly. "You've aquired something new. How I envy your good fortune." This caused the jounin to gasp once he started to catch on. "I don't believe you had it the last time we've met, did you?" Kakashi now growled at Orochimaru. "The gift... the Sharingan in your left eye. It's only fair that I should want it too... the Uchiha power."

xxxxx

Back at the arena, Hinata and Kouen stared down at where Shino is, one wondering why she felt something was off while the other is smirking. The smoke started to clear, but the Aburame was still not seen.

"Alright fool, you had enough?" Zaku spoke, getting a bit impatient. The smoke nearly cleared enough to make out a figure in the smokescreen. Zaku gasped when he saw Shino stand up, like he was just fine. "He's... there's no way!" Zaku, for the life of him, couldn't figure out how he'd survived that blast.

The smoke finally cleared, only to be replaced with a creepy sound.

"Hey... what...?" Zaku asked no one in paticular, bewildered by the strange sound. Haku, Sakura and Kin started looking around the room to find the source of the sound. It sounded like it was coming from everywhere. Unfortunately, Zaku found it first. He saw insects crawling all over Shino, creeping the sound gennin out and almost anyone else who saw the sight. 'What the... he's got bugs coming out of him, like a human hive. This guy's a freak show!' Zaku thought as he observed Shino. While he knew the boy used bugs, he thought he was summoning them somehow. "Great... now that you've creeped us all out, what happens next?"

A moment later, Zaku heard a familiar sound from behind him. He gasped and turned to face an army of bugs... a _large_ army.

Shino held up his left hand, showing a bug like the others on his index finger. "There are rare species of parasitic beetle that attack their prey in a swarm, eating its chakra. An army of this size will suck you dry in less than a minute." he stated calmly. "Your only intellegent option is to forfiet the match. You can't fight two opponents at once. If you use your arms against me, my friends will swarm you from behind. Conversely, if you use your arms to keep them at bay, then you'll have me on your blind side. Either way, your defeat will be certain... and unpleasent." He then formed a hand sign and added, "It's wise to always have an ace in the hole."

Zaku growled angrily, remembering when he was alone before Orochimaru found him. He can even recall the words the man told him.

_"Be my weapon and do my bidding, Zaku. Battle for me and you will become strong."_

Zaku looked from the army of beetles to Shino, contemplating his next move. His anger started to rise as both arms begun to twitch. 'That's it... never again.' he thought, remembering what the possessed Naruto did to him.

_"Well, he was boring." Naruto muttered with a frown. "Maybe you will do better." Turning his gaze to Zaku, Naruto grinned as he stalked his next opponent._

_"Not so fast, brat." Zaku said as he aimed his hands at the redhead. "Slicing Sound Wave!"_

_Naruto's frown returned as he waved his hand dismissively at the sound shinobi. To everyone's amazement, the blast of air simply split in two and went around Naruto, not even ruffling his hair. "Is that your best?" he asked. "If so, then you're not much of a challenge either."_

_Zaku growled before he prepared to unleash his strongest justu, but never got the chance when Naruto connected a flaming punch into his midsection. He then spun around and delivered a flaming roundhouse kick. Zaku flew into a nearby tree, unconscious and burned._

Zaku's anger has spiked tenfold, remembering that. 'That's it... that's never gonna happen again.' He then looked up at Shino with new resolve, not resigning to defeat. He roared and aimed his left arm at Shino, getting the boy's attention. "Now you've done it... Now you've made me MAD!" he yelled before aiming his right arm at the swarm of beetles. "Like you said yourself. Always have an ace in the hole, RIGHT!"

xxxxx

"What's your game?" Kakashi asked the traitor.

"This Sound Village that everyone's curious about... It's mine; you see, I've created it. I think you understand without me saying anymore." Orochimari answered.

Kakashi's eye narrowed. "You and your wild-eyed ambition."

"Oh yes indeed, as always." Orochimari replied. "But to play the game, as you've put it, I need pieces on the chessboard. Willing pawns to do my bidding."

xxxxx

"I'LL BLOW YOU AWAY!" Zaku shouted before unleashing his attack.

xxxxx

"And Naruto is one of your pawns?" Kakashi growled angrily.

"Oh, not a pawn. He's a far more valuable piece than that... at least, he is now." Orochimari replied. "Well, as for the others, you know how it is in the game of Chess..."

xxxxx

But for some odd reason, Zaku's attack backfired, spilling chakra out of his arms.

xxxxx

"...Pieces must be sacrificed." Orochimaru finished.

xxxxx

Zaku, along with everyone else, is shocked at what happened to his arms.

"Argh! My arms! What's wrong with them!" Zaku exclaimed in great pain. He fought the pain and flipped one of his palms over to see... "Ah... what!"

"Earlier, while I was distracting you with my helpful advice, I was also sending some of my little friends to plug up those bothersome wind holes in your hands." Shino informed him after appearing behind him. "While an ace in the hole is good, two aces are better." he finished, such to Zaku's shock.

Zaku didn't take this to well and tried to attack, damaged arms or not. Shino just backhanded him, knocking him down and out.

xxxxx

Orochimaru stalked closer to Kakashi and the others. After he approached too close, Kakashi extended his right leg out and his right arm down, palm open, almost like he's holding a ball, and his left hand went to his upper right arm. "Stop, don't come any closer!" he warned. Orochimaru did and scowled, but then gasped when he saw Kakashi's right palm holding a ball of lightning. "I don't care if you are one of the sannin, the three shinobi of legend. I swear, take one more step towards Naruto, and one of us will die here!" Kakashi declared, holding his famous jutsu, the Lightning Blade, in his palm.

It took a second for Orochimaru to start laughing. It started out light, but quickly grew, which confused the masked jounin.

"Funny, is it." Kakashi glared angrily.

"Poor, Kakashi. All your noble efforts, all in vein." the snake sannin said.

"What?" wondered a confused Kakashi.

"Do you really believe that the seal will hold? Do you think you can keep him from what he truly is?" Orochimaru questioned. He didn't give Kakashi enough time to answer. "You know I'm right. A heart like his can't keep a monster like that at bay for very long, even with his mother. He's a jinchuuriki, isn't he."

"Do you think you can take advantage of that? Not Naruto." Kakashi stated.

Orochimaru tilted his head to the side. "You cannot stop it. He tasted what I have to offer. At some point, he will come to me..." he pointed out calmly before walking away. "...in search of freedom." Kakashi's Lightning Blade died down while the former leaf ninja walked away.

Suddenly, Orochimaru stopped. "Unless, of course, you carry out your threat to kill me. Now's your chance. Take it... if you dare."

For a brief moment, Kakashi saw his own death at the sannin's hands.

Orochimaru started walking again, vanishing into the darkness.

Kakashi was shaken up by what he just saw. 'One of us will die here. I must've been out of my mind.' he thought to himself while trying to steady his nerves. He stood up and sighed before proceeding to guard Naruto, Anko and the Phoenix Sisters.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, Hayate examined the groaning Zaku on the ground with Shino not too far away. "I'd say this one has had it. The winner is Shino Aburame!" he said after standing up.

Up in the stands, Neji and Lee were getting curious. "Wait, how did he do that? Who is he? Find out." Lee suggested to Neji.

Neji took a few steps to his right before flashing through a few hand signs. 'Byakugan!' he thought as his eyes shifted and veins appeared near them. He zoomed in on Shino and used his x-ray vision to see what's going on. He gasped at what he saw. "I had no idea... I thought he might be using a summoning jutsu to get all those insects. But no, they're actually living inside of him." His enhanced eyes showed the beetles crawling all over Shino's body from within.

"Living... inside of him!" Lee exclaimed.

"There's a legend in the Leaf Village of a clan of insect tamers." Guy spoke up to his students.

"Yes, I've heard of that clan as well." Neji started. "They say that when a bug master is born, he enters into a sacred pact with the insects. He allows them to nest in his body. In return, they obey their host's will. They serve him, answering his call, fighting his battles and destroying his enemies. I've also heard that they allow the insects to feed on their chakra as part of the bargin."

Lee looked from Neji to Shino, who's walking back to the balcony. "So this guy is one of them, one of these bug tamers?"

Kurenai sighed. 'My, it's getting chilly in here.' she thought, not noticing Hinata glance at her briefly.

'Amazing, taking down Zaku with very little effort on his part.' Sakura thought while watching Hinata and Kiba congradulate Shino. 'I guess my worries were unfounded.'

"Uh... alright, everyone. Moving right along to the third match." said Hayate, getting everyone's attention. Everyone looked at the monitor to see who's up next.

**Misumi Tsurugi versus Kankuro of the Desert**

xxxxx

In an unknown location, Anko groaned as she came to. Opening her eyes, she found herself in a dark forest, almost resembling the Forest of Death. Nearby, she saw Naruto on the ground with three raven-size red birds perched on his back. Going over to them, she shook the boy lightly, awakening him.

Naruto groaned as he stood up, the three birds flying around him. "Ugh... what happened?" he muttered.

**"You were unconscious, Naruto. Arriving in an unfamiliar mind can do that to a person."** Rei's voice sounded from one of the birds.

Naruto looked at the three birds and wondered, "We're in Anko's mind?"

**"Yes. From here, we must find what represents the Curse Mark and destroy it."** Rei explained. **"This is how I removed your Curse Mark. It wasn't strong enough to be much of a threat to me. However, the red fox I encountered was a bit of a problem."**

"Red fox? You mean the Nine-Tailed Fox?" Anko wondered.

**"No, it wasn't Lord Kyuubi."** Rei replied before she and her sisters shifted to their human forms. **"This fox was a phantom... someone that shouldn't be alive."**

"Youko." Naruto growled. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

**"No. His power was not strong enough to counter mine."** Rei answered with a smile, touched that he was worried about her safety. **"However, I could not exorcise him from you. I don't have that kind of power. The best I could do is put him to sleep. He shouldn't bother you for awhile."**

"It's okay, Rei." Naruto said as he placed a hand on the phoenix-girl's shoulder.

Kurai cleared her throat, drawing their attention to her. **"Excuse me, but we need to hurry this up."** she spoke.

Rei nodded as she remembered why they were here. **"Right. Anko, can you feel the Curse Mark's power? We need to know where it is so we can destroy it."**

Anko closed her eyes for a moment before opening them and pointing towards one of three paths. "This way." she said before leading them to the tainted power within her.

xxxxx

A few minutes later, the group found themselves in a large clearing. There were no signs of life anywhere. The plantlife looked shriveled up and the trees looked like they would shatter with only a little pressure.

While Naruto and the phoenixes looked around, Anko was staring at one of the trees, which has a cavity small enough to house an animal inside. "There it is." she spoke, gathering the others' attention.

**"In there?"** Fuu asked.

Anko nodded and Kurai formed a chain of hands signs while chanting, **"****Ushi, Tori, U, Uma, Saru... ****Lightning Style: Fierce Shockwave!"** She separated her hands until her index and middle fingers were stil touching. Between those fingers, electricity sparked to life. As she pulled her hands away, the electricity grew in power before she pointed at the cavity with her left hand. The electricity arced across the field and destroyed the tree.

From the rubble, something shot out and Kurai aimed her right hand at it. However, it was too fast and she ended up missing it and destroying another tree. **"What is that thing?"** she wondered.

Anko responded by reaching into her supply pouch and pulling out a black leather whip. Naruto and the phoenixes raised an eyebrow before they saw her lash it out, snagging something with it. Looking at what she caught, they saw a white snake. "Got ya." Anko said before her whip suddenly caught fire.

The white snake hissed in pain as it was burned, but then vanished in a puff of black smoke. "Kukukuku..." the voice of Orochimaru echoed from all over the clearing. "My dear Anko, you can't get rid of me that easily." Just then, from the ground emerged a massive white snake. It looked to be thirty feet long and did not look too friendly.

"Go time." Naruto said as he summoned Fuukiri in his left hand. He then took a stance, the sword near his left hip and his right hand hovering above the hilt. As he waited for the serpent to get close enough, he channeled his chakra into his sword.

The snake observed its prey before its gaze stopped on Rei. **"You sssshall be firsssst!"** it hissed in Orochimaru's voice before it lunged at her.

But before she cound move, Naruto appeared in front of her. "Not today!" he said before unsheathing his sword so fast, even he couldn't see it. A sonic boom was heard as the blade struck the serpent's maw, knocking it back with tremendous force. Its head smashed into a tree, shattering it from the impact.

Anko stared wide-eyed at Naruto and only one word came to mind. 'Sensei...' She then saw a silhouette of her first sensei standing beside Naruto in the same stance that he's in after using that battōjutsu. 'It has to be...' she thought before a thought entered her mind. She recalled one of her old teammates telling her about Naruto and his connection to their late sensei. She shouldn't be surprised that he picked up some of her old moves. 'Sensei's Flash Hurricane.' She then remembered her sensei demonstrating the power of that move by sending a boulder flying without even breaking the blade of her sword. The sonic boom they heard was caused by the sword moving at a very high speed, something her sensei refused to elaborate further on.

Shaking these thoughts out of her head, Anko gripped her whip tightly before it burst into flames again. With a grin, she lashed it out and snagged the giant serpent's tail. "So, how do you like your snake cooked?" she asked playfully.

Naruto matched her grin with a grin of his own as he placed Fuukiri's scabbard on his back, where a white strap emerged from it to keep it in place. "How about deep fried." he replied as his sword's blade caught fire. He then turned to the Phoenix Sisters and asked, "What about you three?"

Their response was to ball up their fists and ignite them. **"Deep fried."** they replied with grins.

"Deep fried it is." Anko said before she flashed through four hand signs. "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!" She then breathed a stream of flames at the serpent, seemingly guided by her whip.

"Fire Style: Sword Wave!" Naruto cried as he swung his sword, launching an arc of fire at the serpent's head.

**"Fire Style: ****Blazing Gale****!"** Rei, Fuu and Kurai chimed as one as they thrust their fists forward. From them, funnels of fire shot forth at the downed serpent.

The massive white snake hissed in pain as its entire body was scorched from the intense heat.

**"Mind if I join in?"** came a voice the snake did not want to hear as Kyuubi emerged in his true form. The massive fox towered over the serpent before his maw opened. **"Eat this!"** he roared before firing a fireball three meters in diameter at it. Seeing the fireball, the Phoenix Sisters moved quickly and surrounded Naruto and Anko with their wings before the fireball slammed into the snake, eradicating it instantly in a massive explosion.

When the flames finally died down, Naruto and Rei parted a little to gaze at where the white snake once was. Nearby, Fuu and Kurai retracted their wings, which hid Anko from view, to see if the snake had somehow survived.

Anko, on the other hand, placed a hand on the left side of her neck... and didn't feel the pain she usually felt. "It's gone... the Curse Mark's gone." she said with much relief.

**"That's good. Kushina will be delighted to hear it."** Kyuubi spoke before he shifted to his human form.

"How are you even here?" Naruto wondered.

**"I'm only here because you are here, kit. It's not easy entering someone else's mind to extinguish something that vile."** Kyuubi replied.

"How do you know my sensei?" Anko asked the Bijuu.

**"I know much about Kushina, but I am not allowed to say. Only Kushina can answer that question."** was Kyuubi's response before he turned back to Naruto. **"I must leave before the seal starts to weaken. Good luck in your next match, kit."** He then turned to the phoenixes and added, **"Oh, and give Suzaku my regards and my thanks for helping the kit."** He then vanished in a flash of foxfire.

**"Well, our work here is done. Let us return to our bodies."** Rei said before she hugged Naruto and they vanished in a flash of fire. Fuu and Kurai followed their sister with a smile while Anko simply faded away.

xxxxx

"All right, then. It is time for the fourth match." Hayate spoke up after Kankuro defeated Misumi in their match.

Just then, Sakura sensed a presence behind her. She turned right when a puff of smoke appeared. Sasuke turned around to see Kakashi and Naruto waving at them.

"Hi." Kakashi merely said.

"Did you miss us?" Naruto asked while walking to stand next to his girlfriend. "Neither of you went yet, did you?"

"No, but Shino did." Sakura replied. "He defeated Zaku with ease."

"That's Shino for you." Naruto commented before looking up at the monitor to see who's up next.

**Sasuke Uchiha versus Yoroi Akado**

Sasuke smirked. "Looks like it's my turn... at last."

"Don't get cocky, Sasuke." Naruto warned him. "You know nothing about your opponent, but your opponent may know something about you."

"I'll keep that in mind." Sasuke responded before he made his way down to the arena floor.

When he arrived, he sized up his opponent. Yoroi was at least few years older than him, judging from his height. Due to the fact that most of the young man's body is covered by some form of clothing, it was hard to discern. In fact, the man's partner, Misumi, wore a similar outfit. If it wasn't for their slight height difference, no one could tell them apart.

"You should listen to your teammate, Uchiha." Yoroi spoke, grabbing Sasuke's attention. "I'm not arrogant like Misumi. It's the reason why he lost."

Sasuke said nothing as Hayate stood between them. "Fourth match, Sasuke Uchiha versus Yoroi Akado. Begin!" he announced before hopping back, knowing that as an Uchiha, Sasuke would have learned some fire jutsu.

As soon as the match started, Sasuke's Sharingan activated. "I may not know what you can do, but I will very soon." he stated with a smirk.

Yoroi looked unimpressed before he charged at the boy, his hands glowing with chakra. Sasuke dodged his straight punch and blocked the following back chop, but then felt his strength leaving him just as his opponent grabbed his wrist.

'What the...' Sasuke thought as he gazed at his grasped wrist, his Sharingan only telling him that the glow is the result of a ninjutsu.

"Like it?" Yoroi taunted before tossing the Uchiha aside. "Should I ever touch my opponent, I can drain them of their chakra. And if I drain enough, they'll die."

Sasuke frowned as he calculated his chances. His opponent can drain his chakra away with a mere touch. If he took too much, he can't keep his Sharingan active and will be forced to deactivate it. He also can't use his jutsu, for Yoroi might be able to suck the chakra out of them. Genjutsu's also out due to him not knowing any. 'So I can't use my jutsu against him... Well, I was always looking for a challenge.' he mused before deactivating his Sharingan.

xxxxx

Up on the balconies, Naruto watched the match with an impassive look. 'So... Sasuke's opponent is using the Chakra Absorption Jutsu. Smart tactic.' he observed. In his arms, Ginko thought the same thing. The silver vixen knew all about the jutsu, having learned it during one of Naruto's summer trips with Tsunade when she stayed at home. It's a good jutsu to use against ninjutsu specialists and those with a kekkei genkai. In Sasuke's case, he's going to have a very tough time winning. Even Naruto mentally admitted that Yoroi would give him a challenge.

However, both know of the Chakra Absorption Jutsu's greatest flaw, which is why if Naruto faced Yoroi, the man would be soundly defeated.

xxxxx

Sasuke panted as he continued to avoid his chakra-leeching opponent. His earlier theory was right; Yoroi can suck the chakra out of his jutsu. This was proven so when he launched a large fireball at the man, only to see him stop and disperse it with little trouble... though he did see some minor burns on his hands from it.

That was the only shot he got off, for the man didn't let him do it again. He needed a solution and fast!

'That's it!' he thought before he gazed at the balcony. His eyes fell on Naruto and Lee and he knew that there was a move he could do. However, he knew that he would have to face a pissed off Naruto afterwards. 'But in this case, it's worth it.' he surmised before he flicked a kunai at his opponent.

As he expected, Yoroi slapped the kunai away before aiming a punch to end the match. However, instead of striking his opponent, he punched through smoke as a kunai took the Uchiha's place.

Turning around, he had little time to avoid a hard kick to the chin. The kick launched him upward and as soon as he stook off the shot, he felt a presense directly behind him.

xxxxx

Up on the balconies, the members of the Shugomori were stunned when they saw what the Uchiha just did.

'That... that's the...' they thought to themselves, along with Neji and many of the leaf jounin.

xxxxx

Directly behind Yoroi, Sasuke stared at his opponent as his Sharingan eyes spun. "It may not be mine, but the rest is all original." he said, referring to the Dancing Leaf Shadow that he managed to copy from Lee in the Forest of Death as well as the move he's about to use. He tilted his body to the left and kicked Yoroi in his side with his right foot. He kept turning and lashed his left arm at the man's face before following up with a right punch to the jaw. He finished the combo with a left heel drop to the midsection as soon as they landed. "Lion's Barrage!" he called out just as the heel drop connected. Yoroi grunted in pain before his consciousness faded from the blow.

xxxxx

Blue eyes staring at the Uchiha, Naruto replayed the move Sasuke just used. 'Using the opening for the Lotus and then change it up into a midair combo...' he mused before he smirked. 'It looks like he's starting to figure it out.' He then noticed something about Sasuke. 'Of course, the Dancing Leaf Shadow is a move built for the Iron Fist style. That style demands more than just speed, but also strength and stamina... both of which Sasuke lacks in the amounts the style requires. Even his speed is considered subpar. Just goes to show you that while you can copy it, it's nowhere near as good as learning it.'

xxxxx

After examining the downed Yoroi, Hayate nodded to himself before standing up and announcing, "Winner, Sasuke Uchiha!"

Sasuke sighed as he rested from using his newest attack. 'That move took a lot out of me.' he thought to himself as he walked back to the balconies. 'Now I see why Naruto and Lee could fight like they do. They must have a lot of stamina to be able to use such techniques.'

Once the Uchiha returned to his squad, Hayate spoke up, "Now then, it is time for the fifth match." Everyone turneed towards the monitor to see who's up next.

xxxxx

A/N: ...and freeze! I'm going to stop it right here for two reasons. The first is because this is the first of three parts. I still have seven more matches to do. The second is because I'm not writing super long chapters that takes me an hour to check for spelling and grammer errors. Doing all these matches are tiring and take quite some time, especially the matches in this chapter. So let me take a short break before working on part two.

Naruto and Lee's match was by far the trickiest one-on-one fight I had to do for this story. I've hit a total of three writer's blocks before I was finished, and I still don't think I'm finished with it. In my opinion, I feel that it's too short, but I don't know how to extend it. I wanted it to show their improvement as well as a new technique from each of them, but it was tough for me to lengthen it while keeping it interesting. I might eventually come back and make it longer, but I don't think I can do that now. Maybe someday... maybe.

Also, I'm sure you've noticed Naruto's newest move. Well, it comes from my other story, 'Naruto: the Ninja Saiyan'. Naruto's Drill Kick is based on Great Saiyaman's Justice Kick. The only difference is that it's less flashy. As always, I do not own Naruto or Dragon Ball. And if you want, go check out Naruto: the Ninja Saiyan. It's a good story for those who are interested in crossovers.

Shino and Zaku's match also gave me quite a few headaches. Not the match, oh no. It was what took place during the match that caused the problems. First, I didn't know how to progress past introducing the Phoenix Sisters. And second, I didn't know how to actually do the scene where they remove Anko's Curse Mark. In the end, I decided to place it in a later part of the chapter. Now, the match itself and much of what took place during it actually came from the anime. In my first run, I had written this match up, but never posted it before the rewrite. I still have it, by the way. Before, Naruto broke Zaku's arms, lowering his chances for victory. In this one, he just messed him up. The flashback should remind you how he did it. Also, Shino assumed that Zaku couldn't attack two different targets at once... only to lead him into attacking. Originally, I didn't want to include that part, but I decided to save the surprise I have planned for Shino for the finals.

Now, before someone claims that I stole this, I didn't. Yes, the Phoenix Sisters are actually Kafaru's work, but these sisters aren't them. They are a different set of sisters. The only similarity is the name. Personally, I see no problem in using the same name, especially since Rei, Fuu and Kurai are sacred beasts, meaning they don't have last names. Fenikkusu could count, but that's beside the point. And if you're reading this Kafaru, I hope you don't have a problem with this. I mean no disrespect. I'm a big fan of your work, both your stories and your art.

Misumi and Kankuro's match also came from the anime. I didn't see any reason to change it. However, because I didn't write that match in my first run, mainly because Kabuto's squad didn't reach the tower in time, I had decided to skip it. I initially didn't want to, but there was no difference in the match from what I can remember of it and I can't recall if any of the leaf ninjas commented on it before Kankuro won.

Sasuke and Yoroi's match had actually put me into a stalemate twice. Because of the lack of the Curse Mark, the match wouldn't go exactly as it did in canon. This made it difficult to write. Another thing that made it difficult was I had to make it both believable and realistic. Currently, only Sasuke, Kiba, Neji, Lee(to a small extent) and Shikamaru are as strong as they were in canon. The reason why Shikamaru is on this list is obvious: the boy is hella lazy. So basing it on their strengths in canon, Sasuke did get his ass kicked by Yoroi, but then managed to pull a victory out of his ass. (Wish it was the stick, though.)

One more thing. I will not include my 'Changes from before' section in this chapter or the next. It will appear at the end of this arc and will include information for all three chapters and about the chapters I did not post before the rewrite.

Translation:

Soshi-Kougake: Elemental Gauntlets

Response Corner:

notgonnasay09: I'm glad to hear that even without me error-checking, my work keeps its quality. As for Youko... well, there's a story behind him.

Initially, I had Youko planned to be Naruto's dark side during the story's first run. He only had about a minute of storytime and even less was written about him. This time, I gave him a much needed overhaul. Your question actually stumped me for a moment. He wasn't supposed to represent the canon Kyuubi, though I guess he wound up being that way. Though that's more at first glance. He's actually more vicious than Kyuubi, both canon and story, and will be a source of great problems for Naruto. More will be revealed as the story continues.

To be continued!


	22. Notice

Hey everyone, Junior the Wolf here with an important announcement. I've been having some problems for the past several months that have kept me from writing. If you haven't checked my profile recently, go do so and look at the latest news. See, last week, I updated my profile with some important news. About a month after Christmas, the motherboard on my little brother's computer died on us. We had to move our stuff on the hard drive(at least what could not be replaced) to my younger brother's computer(different brother, by the way). He gave us a spare computer he had to replace ours. But about several weeks ago, I learned that his hard drive was having problems and needs to be restored... which he won't do for several more months.

Unfortunately for me, and fortunately for my readers, I'm not a very patient person. So I searched my external hard drive(which I had forgotten about during this whole mess) and was able to recover the back up I have made before my Christmas post. Only downside is that they're a bit out of date, since I've made much progress within the month between the update and the incident. And to make it worse, I was going to back up all my stories the day the motherboard quit on us!

Well, enough moping. Now, while all my stories were affected by this, this one was affected the most. Because I'm currently working on the Chūnin Exam Preliminaries, I have lost an entire match that was finished before the incident. The match even had an important flashback in it! So now I've got to rewrite them both... and it wasn't easy the first time. I've also lost some information for the story, mostly regarding the next arc. While I can recover most of it, some of it will be difficult to recreate. That aside, I've done what I can over the past week while I was checking my active stories. I've fixed several things and have even added a few things here and there, so I have to repost all my chapters.

For all my stories, I have been writing one of the words wrong. The words 'blond' and 'finacé' all share the same thing: when used for a female, an 'e' is added at the end, getting 'blonde' and 'finacée'. While I've did this for the latter, I didn't for the former. This past week gave me plenty of time to fix that.

For this story, I only fixed a few errors I've found. This also includes 'The Secret Files' side story, but I won't be reposting that chapter just yet. Once I have the second event finished, I'll do so then. Speaking of which, I do need some ideas for that story. Give it a read and post a review, especially regarding the request... which will be fixed once the second event is posted.

Now, because of the long wait... and the fact that I haven't finished the next chapter yet, I'm going to give you guys and gals a special treat. Since I'm doing preliminary matches, I've put an entire match in here as a teaser for you all to enjoy. It will be featured in the next chapter, so I hope it will be enough until I can finish it. Oh, and one more thing. Please don't post any reviews for this notice. Once the next chapter is finished, I'll be taking it down and all the reviews will go with it.

And without further ado, here's your teaser.

xxxxx

"Talking"  
'Thoughts'  
**Inner/Demon/Deity/Dire Beast  
**_Flashback/Mind Link_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Temari of the Desert versus Chouji Akimichi**

As soon as she saw her name, Temari shrugged before walking down to the arena floor. The whole way, she was glancing at Naruto, who idly noticed. 'What is up with her?' he thought as he observed the sand kunoichi. 'Is she interested in me?'

Naruto's girlfriends, along with Ino, Tenten, Kouen, Tsuki and Yuki, have also noticed Temari's sudden interest in their blond fox-boy. Sakura, Ino, Ginko, Hinata and Neko didn't like it too much. 'Away from our fox-boy!' was the collective thought.

Chouji and Shikamaru have also noticed Temari's glancing and came to the same conclusion as the girls. Shikamaru even saw the slight jealous look in the eyes of Hinata, Sakura, Ino and Ginko, the latter being barely. The cloud watcher figured out long ago that the Hyuuga princess and the silver fox-girl are dating their blond whiskered friend. How long, he doesn't know for sure. However, he was quite surprised with Ino and Sakura's reaction and wondered if he's dating them too. Of course, he wouldn't ask him or the girls as that would be too much of a drag. He also wouldn't mention his observations to anybody. After all, if it wasn't known by the village as a whole, there was a reason for its secrecy.

"Ah man, do I have to?" came the whine of his best friend, shaking Shikamaru from his thoughts.

"Come on, Chouji, it's not that bad." Ino told the heavyset gennin. "Just go down there, do your best and you'll be just fine."

"You make it sound so easy." Chouji complained. Ino sighed. She knew that it was more than him being lazy... something both her teammates share. Though if push comes to shove, she can get them modivated... she's just not in the mood to do so. But it was more than that. Shikamaru and Chouji were both taught by their fathers to never hurt a female, no matter what happens. Subdue or disable if possible, but never harm. But if they're trying to kill you, all bets are off. That is the only exception to the rule. Naruto told her that Shizune taught him the same thing, despite how intense he is during spars. Hurting a female simply goes against their nature as chivalrous men... which is something of a rarity in the world these days.

"Chouji." The members of squad ten turned to their sensei. "Tell you what. Do this match, and we'll go out for barbecue... all you can eat." he said. He quickly learned that to modivate Chouji, one must offer him food. Only Shikamaru and Ino can get him to do something without using food... similar to how Yoshino and Ino can get Shikamaru to do something most of the time.

Chouji's eyes lit up at the thought of all you can eat barbecue. "Alright, all you can eat!" he exclaimed before vaulting over the railing.

As soon as he landed, Temari stared at the portly boy in wonder. 'At first, he didn't want to fight... but mention food to him and now he's psyched?' she thought to herself. 'Let's see... Judging from his stature, I'd say he's a close-range fighter.' She knew that unless he could quickly close the gap between them before she could attack, he wouldn't stand a chance. And considering his size, she doubted that he is faster than her.

'To be honest, I'd rather fight the cute blond up there.' Ever since she first layed eyes on him, she knew that there was something special about him. She could feel it from his very presence, which oddly reminded her of Gaara. And judging from his match with that Lee kid, he was a wind user. No way could he pull off that finishing kick without aid from the wind. She even felt wind chakra swirling around him, so she was certain of it. 'Oh well, maybe next time.' she thought, a bit disappointed that the blond boy, Naruto she recalled, wasn't her opponent.

Shaking her head of these thoughts, she focused on the here and now. She can ponder more about Naruto later.

Judging that Chouji and Temari were ready to start, Hayate said, "Now, for the sixth match. Temari of the Desert versus Choji Akimichi. Begin!"

Deciding to poke some fun at her opponent, which she figured will get him riled up enough to where he can't focus, Temari smiled and said, "So, you're the one I must face? This'll be too easy."

"And why do you say that?" Chouji asked her. Up on the balcony, Naruto and Shikamaru suddenly had a bad feeling.

"Well, you don't look too fast or even strong for that matter." she bluntly stated. "What exactly can someone as fat as you do to me?"

'Uh-oh.' thought Asuma, Shikamaru, Ino and Naruto, knowing what's going to happen next.

A vein bulged on Chouji's forehead, his rage kicking in. "You shouldn't have done that." he muttered loud enough for her to hear him while his eyes were shadowed.

Temari saw him shaking fiercely and felt the murderous intent rolling off of him. "Oh, and why's that?" she asked out of curiosity.

"Because calling Chouji fat is a dangerous taboo." Naruto answered. "I suggest you run... now."

Getting worried, Temari looked at Chouji and saw the rage growing in his eyes. Drawing her giant folding fan, she prepares for the worst, which is what she's going to get from an enraged Chouji Akimichi.

"EXPANSION JUTSU!" Chouji boomed before his body expanded into a large, round ball. His head and limbs then retracted into himself and he started rolling towards Temari. "HUMAN BOULDER!" he shouted as he charged the sand gennin.

Temari quickly unfolds her fan and leaped into the air, dodging Chouji's attack. When she landed, she saw that the rolling gennin was about to slam into the wall, but was then shocked when she suddenly turned and started rolling towards her again. Temari continued to dodge Chouji's attack before she leaped onto the statue's hands. She then folded her fan up to where it only showed one of the three red circles on it. With one swing, she summons a strong gust of wind that barely stopped the rolling Akimichi in his tracks.

After he canceled his jutsu, he looked up at her in confusion. 'How did she summon such a strong and concentrated wind?' he and Shikamaru wondered. Naruto, Kouen, Ginko and Yuki, on the other hand, have already figured it out. Since wind is one of their natural elements, they had to train with a battle fan at some point. Yuki can even create them out of ice. For Naruto, using a fan is the first step in learning the Pressure Cannon. While he still has his fan, he doesn't use it anymore because it doesn't suit his style at all.

Sensing the portly boy's confusion, Temari stated, "This is my warfan, the Three Moons. There's two more moons yet to be seen." And with that, she swung her fan again, creating another blast of wind towards Chouji while calling, "Ninja Art: Wind Scythe Jutsu!" The leaf gennin dodged the attack, but was cut by the sharpness of the wind. He's at a strategic disadvantage... Temari knew that. He can't attack her from where she is, even with throwing weapons. There's nothing he can do.

... or so she thought. She was about to launch another attack when Chouji formed a hand sign and cried, "Earth Style: Mud Wall!" Spitting out a glob of mud, Temari watched as the mud quickly formed a solid eight-foot tall, three-foot wide wall.

"You think that wall will stop me?" Temari questioned him before swinging her warfan again. "Wind Scythe Jutsu!" However, to her surprise, the mud wall did not go down... however, it was pushed back several inches and she spotted several cracks all over it. 'Well, I didn't destroy it, but I did damage it.' she thought before using her Wind Scythe Jutsu again, which pushed the wall back further and tripling the number of cracks.

She used it one more time, but just after she launched it, she heard Chouji call out, "Earth Style: Great Mud River!" When Temari's attack collided with the wall, she saw it collapse... but behind it was Chouji standing in front of a large puddle of mud.

"I may not be able to reach you, but my jutsu can!" Chouji said before flashing through the hand signs uma, ushi, mi, tatsu and tora. "Eat this! Mud Barrage Jutsu!" From the puddle, several melon-size balls shot towards Temari.

Judging that her jutsu couldn't strike them all, as well as the fact that more are coming, Temari opted to leave her perch instead of trying to stop the assault. At this time, she somewhat regretted not learning a defensive jutsu to go along with her wind-based fighting style. If she had, she could've used it here to deflect those mud balls.

'I have to end this.' she thought to herself before opening her fan, revealing the second moon. "Wind Style: Devastation!" she cried before summoning a powerful funnel of wind, which blew not only the mud away, but Chouji as well. Everyone saw Chouji crash into the wall, and some even winced at the impact.

After a moment of him not moving, Hayate went and checked on the gennin. "Chouji is unable to battle. Temari is the winner." he announced before motioning for the medics to remove Chouji from the wall.

xxxxx

A/N: And there you have it. Once again, please don't post any reviews for this notice. Once the next chapter is finished, I'll be taking it down and all the reviews will go with it.

Later!


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